Keeping You Safe
by animeKS
Summary: With Kenshin at the peak of stardom, being a rockstar has put his life in danger. After multiple threats, it's finally time to increase security... in the form of a personal bodyguard. Kaoru, one of the best, is assigned to protect Kenshin, but what secrets are hiding in her past? And will it effect how she does her job? [Note: this story is being edited. It's complete, so enter.]
1. Chapter 1

_**I'm back with an all new story. I can honestly say this one will be totally new for me, I'm so happy with all the inspiration I have with this. I don't know why, but I'm being to hit all of it at once, so we'll see where it goes. I'm working on multiple others as well, but for now, you'll have to stay in love with Kenshin and Kaoru (smiles).**_

_**I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters.**_

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me," Kenshin growled. "No."

"Kenshin, don't be so close-minded." Tomoe, his long-time friend and manager crossed her arms over her chest in feminine protest.

"You want me to date a fan; have you lost your ever loving mind?" He looked disgusted as he glared at her and Misao, his personal stylist. They were in this together; he was more than aware of that.

"Think of all the publicity," she argued, throwing her hands out in front of her, like it would make a better point.

"Yeah, think of the publicity," Misao snickered in his ear as she removed his makeup.

Kenshin was a singer; a very popular one at that. His tour had just kicked off; he would go around the country and hold concerts for fans. Tonight's concert had been a huge success, and he was pleased to know he had so many people cheering for his success. Unfortunately, no matter how many people loved him, he hated the fact that he had to wear makeup… and he only needed it because of the lights; they made his face look washed out.

"You're such a traitor," he hissed at her in mock outrage. Publicity definitely wouldn't hurt him, but he didn't need it. They just wanted to make a scene, keeping everyone from forgetting about him.

"Come on, Kenshin." Misao smiled at him soothingly. "It won't be bad."

"Thanks, guys," he sighed, giving into the fact that there was nothing he could do about this. They wanted what was best for his career, he knew, but was this really necessary? Sometimes they were a little too damned pushy for his liking. "Fine, I'll think about it," he murmured into the silence.

Tomoe squealed, coming up to him and kissing his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear before leaving the room; a slight bounce in her step.

As Kenshin watched her leave, another sigh escaped him. He was doing that a lot tonight. As Misao stepped away from him, he stood up and entered the makeshift closet they had set up for him. He pulled off his stage clothes, black leather that was way too extravagant for his liking, and after a while, they were incredibly uncomfortable. As he slipped out of them, he slid into a pair of comfortable jeans and a lilac shirt, covering it with a light black jacket to block the night air.

When he walked back out, Misao stared at him curiously. "Why do you do that to yourself?" She asked as she turned to pick up her case.

"Do what," he asked as he pulled the hairband out of his hair, letting it fall down his back.

"If you like her, why don't you tell her?" Misao had a knack for being blunt, a little too blunt sometimes. When she picked up on something, she went after it, full force.

"Why do you think," he asked as he approached her. "Hey Tomoe, I know that you're happily married and in love with your husband, but I think we could go well together," he grimaced as the words left his mouth. "Yeah, that would work out brilliantly."

Misao laughed at his out of character words. "That's so romantic, Kenshin. She couldn't help but say yes to you then." The sarcasm that was laced in her voice was more than apparent and he smiled kindly at her. She absent mindedly ran her hand through his hair before her face lit up. "Hey, why don't you ask Aoshi-"

"No."

"But-"

"No, Misao," Kenshin looked at her through the reflection of the mirror that stood in front of them; her hand was still in his hair. "I don't care how long Aoshi and I have been friends. I won't even entertain the idea of asking him for relationship advice."

Misao let out a laugh as she pictured how that situation would pan out. "It was worth a try," she said with a shrug.

"I appreciate it." He pulled her hand out of his hair and laid a gentle kiss on her the back of her hand. "Don't worry. I'll think of something."

She gave him a nod before taking a deep breath. "You ready to go?"

Kenshin nodded. "Yeah, I really need some sleep." While the tour had just kicked off, this was already his third stop and he was finally back in his hometown. He didn't know why Tomoe had insisted on starting somewhere else, but he hadn't questioned her decision.

He couldn't wait to get home and into his own bed, drifting off into a comatose sleep. He grinned to himself at how peaceful that would be. He constantly felt exhausted and there was no place like home.

Kenshin took Misao's hand in his as they walked to his waiting car. This woman beside him was a dear friend, even with the short time she'd been with his team. He looked at her like a little sister. Misao's hand tightened in his as fans waited for them outside, screaming his name and cheering him on. He waved and gave them a tired smile. He appreciated the encouragement, but he really was too tired to put on a mask that he was invincible, even against sleep.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out against the intense noise of the fans. The screams that had been ones of joy immediately turned to terror as they ducked and scattered, trying to avoid being hit. Kenshin turned and tucked Misao into his chest as he pulled her to the ground, a bullet whizzing past him and into the side of his car.

They lay there, unable to move as the sounds of guns firing still filled the air. It felt like an eternity before silenced took control. Time seemed to freeze as no one made a sound and all too soon, it was over. Kenshin's security team instantly came to the rescue, local law enforcement following right behind them.

"Mr. Himura," one man yelled as the team made their way to his side. "Sir, are you all right?"

Kenshin was on his feet in an instant before looking down at Misao. "Are you okay," his eyes quickly scanned over her body.

She opened her mouth to reply, but her name rang through the air. "Misao!" They all looked to see Aoshi, who was frantically making his way towards them.

"Aoshi," she whispered as she reached out for her husband. He was in her arms instantly as she pulled him close. "It hurts." Her words were loud enough for all around her to hear. As he pulled back, Kenshin cursed; she'd been hit. It wasn't serious, but still enough to piss Aoshi off.

Aoshi slowly rose to his feet, turning to the singer. "Himura-"

"Aoshi," she said as she grasped his hand. "Kenshin saved me." He was back by her side before she could blink, waiting for her to continue with her explanation. "He covered me when the bullets were coming towards us. Please…"

He just continued to look at her as his gaze softened into understanding. Standing to his feet again, held out his hand towards Kenshin.

Kenshin took it and they clapped each other on the back as paramedics made their way to Misao.

"Mrs. Shinamori, we need to take you to the hospital."

Misao's eyes widened in alerted terror; she hated hospitals with a passion.

"Don't worry," Aoshi whispered as he grabbed her hand. "Nothing will happen."

Kenshin stepped away, inadvertently drawing their attention. "I'll get Tomeo and we'll meet you there." He turned on his heel and began to walk away, sensing they wanted a private moment before she was taken to the hospital.

"Aoshi, can you do me a favor," she asked once Kenshin was out of earshot. She reached for his hand again.

He took it eagerly, gently squeezing it in reassurance. "Anything."

"At home, in my day journal, look in the 'K' section; 'Kamiya' is the name you're looking for her." She looked into his eyes. "Call her and tell her where I am."

Aoshi looked at his injured wife with mild surprise. This name was one he'd never heard before. "Who is she?"

Misao couldn't blame her husband for his confusion. She hadn't ever mentioned Kaoru to anyone, not since she was much younger. She needed her now though, and Aoshi was the only one she trusted to get in contact with her. "I haven't seen her for a long time," she admitted. "But she's my best friend."

* * *

Kaoru lay in bed, listening to music on her iPod. The usic was soft and sweet, and she was feeling sorry for herself. It had been two weeks since she'd returned home from Hokkaido. An assignment had taken her there for two years and finally it was over. She wanted to forget, to move on with her life, ignoring the horrible experience. She hadn't felt like this in years and she didn't know how she could get through it again.

She sighed and sat up. "Okay Kaoru, this is no time to have a pity party. You're back on the market, so let's get going." Her market was almost nonexistent. There were others out there like her, but none advertised themselves as much as she did. She liked to keep going, jumping from one assignment to the next.

She quickly shed her close and put on a fresh tank top and shorts before going to her desk and turning on her laptop. She clicked the keys rapidly, setting up her profile again. This explained who she was and what she did; her life. Of course, it was fake, but no one else knew that. When she was on an assignment, nothing existed; nothing. She was a ghost.

But now she was back. Kaoru looked over her work and smiled. "Here we go." _Enter._

She pushed herself away from the desk and grabbed her purse before she walked out of her apartment. Kaoru walked down the street in the freezing weather. "It feels so good to be back," she breathed in the air. God, she had missed this. Hokkaido had been great, but it wasn't home. Tokyo… Tokyou would always be home.

She stepped into the gym and was greeted by a familiar face. "Hey missy, how have you been?"

Kaoru smiled at the warm welcome. "I've been fine, and how about yourself?"

"I've been doing well," he smiled back at her. "I haven't seen you in forever," he pouted playfully.

"It's been two years, not forever. I didn't know you cared," she playfully flirted. They always did this, even back before she left. They weren't anything more than friends and they both knew that. This was all innocent fun.

"Ah, ah, ah," he shook his finger in her face as a warning, before pushing his hand down in an exaggerated manner, showing her the ring that sat on his finger, "can't flirt anymore."

Grabbing his hand, she stared at the gold band around his ring finger. "Sano, who did you get to marry,' she grinned.

"Me, though I don't know how sometimes."

Kaoru looked over his shoulder at the woman who had answered her. When her eyes landed on a very pregnant woman, her eyes lit up. "Megumi," her grin widened in surprise she walked around the counter to hug the woman. "When did this happen?"

"A year ago," she smiled. "This little guy is due in three months."

Aw, congratulations you guys." She hugged Megumi again before turning to hug Sanosuke.

"So, what are you doing here?" He asked her.

"I'm here to work out," she gestured to her attire. "I need to blow off some steam." And waste time.

"If you want to blow off steam, go find a guy." He answered without thinking.

"Sanosuke," Megumi yelled, outraged.

"Sorry, that slipped out." He looked sheepishly between the two women. "Go ahead, I'll cover it."

Kaoru laughed, a blush on her face. "Thanks."

As she walked back to where the equipment was, she stepped onto the treadmill and placed ear buds in her ear, turning on her music. Kenshin Himura. She started walking, slowly leading up to a jog before speeding up to an all-out run. Yeah, this was it. She needed this run. One mile, that was it and then she would move onto something. Find a man; she scoffed as she remembered Sano's words.

Kaoru hadn't been paying attention and before she knew it, eight minutes had passed and she had just passed one mile. Smiling to herself, she stepped away and headed towards the weights. Twenty pounds in each hand, she began to stretch. She smiled to herself again, noticing that she was working up a good sweat. She loved it. Kaoru felt so alive when she exercised. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, surprising her. "This is Kamiya."

"_Miss Kamiya, my name is Aoshi Shinamori._"

"What can I do for you, Mr. Shinamori?" She wasn't used to calls this late, but she wasn't going to complain. A client was a client and she was grateful for the contact in general.

"_My wife, Misao, asked me to call you._"

Kaoru's eyebrows rose. She hadn't heard from Misao in years. She'd missed her best friend dearly, but why was this man, supposedly her husband, calling in her stead? "What happened to her?" The way she'd asked gave her an ominous feeling; hopefully nothing bad.

"_She was in an accident. She wants to see you, though she wouldn't tell me why._"

"Where is she," Kaoru was already putting the weights away when she asked.

"_She's at Tokyo hospital._"

"Thank you Mr. Shinamori, I'm on my way now." She hung up the phone as she made her way to the front of the gym. Giving a quick goodbye to the couple, she ran out and towards the hospital.

* * *

_**Here's chapter one. It might seem a little rushed, I know, but I really just needed to set the stage. I hope you all like it. Thoughts?**_

_**-K**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**First and foremost, I love the reviews. Thank you for the kind words and hopefully I can live up to your expectations. Okay, chapter two. I really hope that this is going well for you guys, even though I've only just set the stage. We're going to see where the characters take me, because honestly, I don't even know... yet. All in good time, as I'm sure you know. With so much happening, I'm really surprised at all of this burst of writing energy- not that I'm complaining. I love it.**_

_**Anyway, I do not, and will never, own Rurouni Kenshin.**_

* * *

Kaoru ran into the hospital and walked up to the front desk, trying to catch her breath. Hearing that Misao had been admitted, all she wanted to do was sprint to her best friend and make sure that she was okay, she couldn't though. She had to be calm; collected. She leaned against the counter until the receptionist finished her phone conversation. Kaoru, taking a deep breath, sighed.

"Can I help you," the woman asked, giving Kaoru a slightly irritated look. Apparently she had misinterpreted the sudden noise Kaoru had made.

She gave the woman an apologetic smile. "Misao Shinamori, please."

The woman looked back at her computer and typed in the name, her eyes scanning the screen before looking up.

Kaoru was off as soon as the room number had been given to her. After a quick 'thank you' she moved forward, closer to Misao.

When she found the room, she almost entered, but pulled up short, as she looked into the room. A crowd of people hovered over the bed that Misao lay in. Should she enter; of course she should. She hadn't come all this way for nothing. Grabbing whatever courage she had, Kaoru gave a short, hard knock on the door frame.

When everyone's eyes suddenly landed on her, she had to force herself not to take a step back. Okay, that was intimidating, she thought to herself. She saw them quickly assess her and tried not to cringe. She hadn't changed; she was in a hurry. No doubt their conclusions weren't all that great.

Kaoru pushed herself forward into the room, giving them an awkward wave. "Hey," she tried to smile, but the hitch in her voice cut that off. "I, uh, received a call from an Aoshi Shinamori?" _Please tell me I have the right room_, she thought.

Misao popped forward, a giant grin on her face. "Kaoru!" The group stepped back from the bed and stared down at her like she was crazy. They actually looked appalled at Kaoru's sudden appearance; rude much?

The only other woman in the room stood out like a sore thumb. She looked like a super model; dressed like one too. She looked at Kaoru, giving her a subtle yet distasteful glance.

Nope, she definitely didn't think too highly of Kaoru. She had the sudden urge to flip the girl off, but she didn't. She wasn't there to pick a fight; she was there to see Misao.

"I'm glad Aoshi could get a hold of you," Misao was constantly smiling, and it was infectious. She held out her hand to Kaoru, who graciously made her way to the girl's side, grasping it.

Kaoru leaned down and kissed Misao's cheek; she was like Kaoru's little sister. "Hey, baby girl," she whispered, giving her a small smile. Kaoru looked her up and down, noticing her leg was wrapped like it was waiting to be casted. "What happened here?"

Misao looked at her before the group that surrounded her. She'd politely asked them to give the girls the room and they did so; reluctantly. Kaoru held back her smile. Their hesitancy to leave Misao alone with her made her feel better about not being there. At least Kaoru knew she was in good hands. One by one, they left the room until only a tall brooding man stood in front of her.

The man looked down at her, his ice blue eyes unwavering. Kaoru had to force herself to relax under his intense gaze; he made her uneasy and at almost a tall height herself, she wasn't exactly a pushover. He suddenly pushed his dark hair out of his eyes, giving him a quick image of boyish charm. When he held out his hand to her, she stared at it like an idiot. "Aoshi Shinamori," he introduced.

Kaoru could feel her mouth drop open as her eyes darted back to his. This was Msao's husband. She was so tiny and bubbly while was so… intimidating. How interesting. She tried not to gawk as she took his hand for a gentle shake. "Kaoru Kamiya," she gave a friendly smile, hoping to redeem herself. "It's nice to meet you," finally. He nodded and moved away, out of the room to join the others. As the door closed, Kaoru looked back to Misao. "Not much of a talker, is he?"

Misao giggled, shaking her head. "Only with me, and that's not very often." She patted the spot next to her and Kaoru sat down, not wanting to hurt her leg in any way; she still had yet to find out what happened. "I'm sure you know who Kenshin Himura is," she started. Of course; who didn't know who he was? He was an international star. His voice was unparalleled by any other… or so they said. "well, I was at his concert tonight, and after the show someone started shooting at us while we were walking to his car and I got hit and-"

Kaoru placed her and over Misao's mouth. "Okay, Miss Mile-a-Minute. Why were you walking with him to his car?" Had she missed something here?

Misao's face became rosy. "I, um… I work for him." She whispered.

Kaoru's eyes widened at the news, but she wasn't all that shocked. She knew Misao would go far, she was incredibly talented. What Kaoru wanted to know was why she was reacting the way she was. "Are you having an affair with him?" It slipped out and she felt like a bitch afterward. She hadn't meant to accuse her of that at all.

Misao's eyes widened, in response. "No! I love my husband. It's just… I didn't know how you'd react to hearing about it. It's not something that I would have gone for, and-"

Kaoru cut her off again; poor girl couldn't keep it together. "Misao, it's not surprising. I always knew you would go far.

She stared at Kaoru for a moment, seeming fascinated by the words she'd spoken. Kaoru licked her lips, trying to hold back her smile; Misao hadn't changed at all. "Thank you," she finally whispered. "Anyway, someone began shooting at us after the show. Some of his poor fans got shot, but as far as I know, there were no fatalities. I'm staying hopeful. I can't even imagine how Kenshin feels." The look in her eyes shifted to grief, not that Kaoru could blame her. No one should have to go through that. "You know, I'm a makeup artist. Getting shot is not in my job description." Misao looked at her friend, who nodded in response. Kaoru could completely understand. "That's why I had Aoshi call you here, actually."

"Because you were shot," she asked, not sure where Misao was going with this. She couldn't do anything about it now.

Misao looked away, like she was embarrassed. "I've been keeping tabs on you. I wanted to make sure that you were doing okay." Kaoru tensed at the unexpected news. "I've seen what you can do and this; well, this isn't the first time a death threat was given to Kenshin. I was wondering if you would maybe consider shadowing him." She sounded so hopeful, yet so uncertain.

Kaoru sat back, stunned. This was not what she had been expecting. "Fist, what other death threats have there been?" She would say that getting shot at was a little more than a threat. If she was going to consider this, she needed to know all the facts. _Can you really do this, _she asked herself. _Babysit a world class singer?_ _Misao trusts you,_ her mind screamed. She could do this for her friend.

"Mostly letters saying how he, whoever he is, was going to come after Kenshin, and when no one was looking, kill him. There are different scenarios; some saying that he would have a slow and painful death, like having his throat slit, while others said he'd be shot; put down like a worthless dog. It scares me. I've worked with this team for almost a year now and he's a really great guy. I don't want anything to happen to him." She finished as tears started to form in her eyes.

Kaoru sighed, unsure of what course to take. She'd never protected such a public figure before. Sure, she'd protected important people of high status, but never one so loved by the media. She didn't know if she could keep this under wraps. This was so different and not at all what she was used to. "Um," she was at a loss for words. "Have you talked to Kenshin and the rest of your team yet?" This was a moot point if only Misao wanted her help.

"No," she sniffed, daintily wiping her eyes. "I wanted to make sure you would do it first."

She let out a soft chuckle; how like Misao. "Let's see what they have to say and then we'll go from there. How does that sound?" Really, it was the best she could do. She couldn't impose on their lives if that wasn't what they wanted.

Misao nodded, knowing she had no other choice. "Can you ask them to come back in? I'll ask them now so that they know I'm serious." She tried to not stiffen at the girl's request. She hated crowds. _You can do it, Kaoru, suck it up._ She moved to the door, inviting her friends back into the room. It was only then that she realized that Kenshin Himura was a part of their group. _How did I not recognize him?_

They didn't need any more than that, it seemed. Pushing their way passed her, they quickly circled the tiny girl again, and comforting her once they saw her drying tears. She pushed their hands away, telling them that she needed to ask them something of importance.

"What is it," Aoshi asked as he swept his hand through her hair.

"I was talking to Kaoru about what happened tonight and how it wasn't the first time-"

"I don't know about you," Kenshin interrupted, "But that's definitely the first time I've ever been shot at."

Misao glared at him. "That's not what I meant and you know it." He took her look good naturedly. It was interesting to see the way they reacted together. "The threated you've been having for months are finally going to the next level. I wanted to ask you, Tomoe, if you thought a security detail would be necessary."

_The next level_, Kaoru asked herself. From writing a silly letter to shooting people; that was more like several levels at once. She looked at the woman, Tomoe. She was tall, fair skinned, with dark black hair and very leggy. She really did look like a model. Kaoru almost felt jealous; almost.

Tomoe gave the younger girl a confused stare. "We already have security."

"And a lot of good that does," Aoshi muttered under his breath. It was an indirect insult. Tomoe put all the security details together. Aoshi ran the operation. Everything happened so fast as Kenshin took a step in front of Tomoe, glaring at the other man. Aoshi took a step forward as well. What was it about men? Geez.

_This is getting way too tense._ Kaoru didn't know why guys tried to play alpha with each other. This was exactly why she thoughts relationships were pointless. Why put up with something like that? Kaoru stepped in between them and held up her hands up as if they would magically stop the men if they decided to pounce on each other. "This is a hospital, so let's all try to be a little civilized." Kaoru looked at Tomoe, who was all of a sudden nervous. "And I'm not that sort of security." She gave her a kind smile, trying to set her at ease.

The star's eyes suddenly looked at her, giving her a weary look before disgust fell over my face. "You don't look like much of anything." His voice was harsh and distrustful.

"Kenshin," Misao started, but once again. Kaoru held up her hand, silencing her.

"What sort of security are you?" Tomoe asked, eyeing my curiously. Her nervous appearance quickly disappeared.

"I," Kaoru glanced at Misao, who could only nod in approval. "I'm a personal detail. I guess you would call me a bodyguard. "Kaoru hated that word, it was so overused and cliché.

* * *

_**I always leave off at the most horrible spots, I know! Bad, bad me. Ah well. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. We're starting to get somewhere! Where that place is, I'm not all too sure yet, but you will be there to witness my awesome glory. Or something like that (laughs).**_

_**Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter up by Monday. I would say sooner, but I'll be out of town this weekend, and tonight, well... it's the Breaking Dawn premier and yeah...**_

_**No, I'm not one of the those people, but I've been to every midnight premier so I might as well finish the series off, right? Right. If you don't agree with me- well, that's fine too. (and by chance you're a fan, it was fantastic, so I recommend it.)**_

_**On a completely different note of this fanfic, I tried to watch the Twilight series again and I couldn't. It was physically painful to try to get through the first half hour of Twilight. I think they need a remake. A BETTER remake. Seriously.**_

**_Anyhoo, getting off topic. Next chapter. Hopefully by Monday. We'll see. I'll be writing this weekend but I won't have internet (that I know of) so Monday (smiles)._**

**_-K_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**It's not Monday yet! I'm doing better than I thought I would. Three more chapters have been written, so we'll see how far I get in updating within the next week. It's Thanksgiving Break, so I have almost the whole week off. (smiles and cheers) Anyway, here's chapter three.**_

_**Me no own Rurouni Kenshin.** **Bah.**_

* * *

Tomoe stood there for a moment before looking at Misao, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"What do you think," she asked.

"No." Kenshin's growl was fierce as he glared at Tomoe, who was about to speak.

"Kenshin-" Tomoe started.

"No, first you want me to go on a date with a fan; a _fan_. Now you want me to have a bodyguard?"

"Personal detail," Kaoru interjected.

Kenshin chose to ignore her as he continued to look at his manager. "No, I have to put my foot down somewhere.

"Kenshin," Aoshi started, looking as though he was actually contemplating the idea. "That might actually work."

The singer's eyes widened as he looked over at his longtime friend. "What?" He sounded outrage; secretly amusing Kaoru.

Aoshi ignored him as he looked over to Tomoe. "You could get your way after all." His eyes swiftly shifted to Kaoru and then his wife. "If you were to release the story that he had a girlfriend, he'd get the publicity that you want while having him protected." His look over to Kenshin was a cool calm. "And you wouldn't have to go on a date for whatever reason Tomoe has."

Kaoru's eyes grew wide at what he was proposing. He wanted her to date, okay… pretend to date Kenshin for some stupid publicity stunt? She wanted to immediately reject the idea; could she? Kenshin glared at her, though she couldn't imagine why. She was solving his problem, but this extra news wasn't at all her fault. "You make it sound like I need protection," he growled again.

Kaoru threw her own glare. "Mr. Himura, this is only precautionary. I'm in no way accusing you of being unable to protect yourself." This was her job; this was what she was good at. She'd been watching their exchange without many words, but from what she could see, he was wrapped around Tomoe's finger. From the way he looked at the other woman, it seemed as though he didn't mind it in the slightest.

"I'm fine with protecting myself." It was obvious he didn't want to lose this.

Aoshi made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat. "We're all very aware of the fact that you can protect yourself, but not while you're on stage. Ms. Kamiya is only there for when you really would need her." He looked at Tomoe. "Would you rather him be safe with one extra person, who could be inconspicuous, rather than him being on some slab in the morgue because we didn't take that chance?"

Tomoe's eyes turned haunted, and Kaoru immediately felt for the woman. She obviously cared for Kenshin very much. To anyone else, Aoshi's words seemed cruel, but he was right and they were very necessary. Anything could happen and they needed an extra precaution; if not Kaoru, then definitely someone else. Tormoe subtly nodded. Kaoru sighed at her dejected look; the poor woman.

They were obviously going to need to talk about his more and Kaoru was tired. "It's late, Misao. I'm going to go ahead and go home before I pass out on the floor," she joked with the girl. Misao smiled in response, knowing that Kaoru would never allow herself to be that weak in front of others. "You all need time to think and talk about this without me here pressuring you. Let me know when you make up your mind." She walked over to Misao's side and kissed her cheek. "Feel better," she smiled. Quickly saying goodbye to the others, she left their sides.

When she entered her apartment, she felt uneasy and somewhat annoyed. She hadn't done anything she wanted to tonight, but she got to see Misao, so it was a fair trade, she supposed. She quickly stripped out of her clothes and pushed herself under the covers. It was cold; she was hungry, but too exhausted to do anything about it. Tomorrow was a new day and she was going to make the most of it. Closing her eyes, she let sleep take her into a blissful, dreamless night.

Four days had passed and Kaoru still hadn't heard from Misao or her friends. Apparently they decided that they didn't need her and honestly that was just fine. Just in case, she had taken her profile down, but she guessed it was time to put it back up. She lay in bed, not wanting to move yet, she sighed. She was so exhausted from the day before. She'd had to run so many errands to run, but when she'd gotten back, she'd had tons of messages from prior clients who wanted to check in on her and friends who lived in the area. The lack of sleep was killing her right now.

A knock on the door made her bold up in bed, grabbing her head as a headache started to form. She glared at the clock on her nightstand.

_9:15_

"Kill me," she groaned as she slinked out of bed and grabbed her gun. She tucked it into the waistband of her pajama bottoms; she was never unprepared. As Kaoru walked out of her bedroom, she pulled the silk robe off of the chair near her desk in the corner. Quickly, she made her way to the door, she opened it, only to be greeted by a hand on her throat, shoving her back into the apartment.

"Kenshin," someone screamed, but the name couldn't register in her mind.

The initial shock of the attack wore off in a heartbeat, kicking Kaoru's brain into action a second later. She grabbed his wrist, ripping it from her throat, hissing as his fingers pressed harder against her sensitive skin. His wrist in her hand, she ducked behind him as he swung with the other, trying to connect to her face. Kaoru brought the man's arm behind his back, making him grunt at the force before she kicked the back of his legs and brought him to his knees. She didn't give him the chance to react as she pressed her body as close to him as she could; giving him no room to move. She pulled out the gun, shoving it against his temple.

"Ms. Kamiya."

Kaoru froze at the voice from before, noticing that it was filled with terror. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears as her breath came out in heavy pants; the adrenaline had definitely kicked in. She looked down at the man in front of her and everything clicked.

_Kenshin Himura. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. _

Her mind registered everything in an instant, though she tried to force it back. Kaoru lowered the gun from his head and started yelling. "What the hell are you doing?" She let go of his wrist and lightly pushed him forward before taking two steps back. "Are you fucking crazy? I could have killed you!"

Kenshin turned towards her and growled; something he seemed to be doing a lot of. He quickly climbed to his feet, his green eyes glaring down at her as he rubbed the wrist she'd grabbed. "I should be asking you that." He looked at the woman behind Kaoru, and she turned too, following his line of sight; Tomoe.

She should have known.

"Who are you?"

Kaoru looked back and forth between the both of them, her anger suddenly flaring to life. "She wanted to beat the hell out of him. "Did you acquire amnesia within the last few days?" Apparently, or he wouldn't have attacked her like that.

Kenshin moved to lunge at her again, but Kaoru held up the gun that lay at her side. He stopped dead in his tracks as she pressed it against his chest, right above his heart. She could hear blood pumping through her ears as fear consumed her. The way his gaze changed, she could tell he noticed it too and it annoyed the hell out of her. "Don't attack me in my own home," she didn't sound as confident as she wanted to.

Tomoe came to Kaoru's side and held her hands up, like she was trying to approach a wounded animal. "Let's all calm down while she explains."

Kaoru lowered the gun again and settled it back into her waistband before shutting the front door, which hung wide open from their unexpected attack. She turned back, giving them a confused stare. "What exactly am I explaining to you?"

"Who you are; Kaoru Kamiya doesn't exist."

His hushed words caused Kaoru's eyes to widen as her grin grew on her face. She laughed as relief washed over her. "That's why you're upset?" She couldn't believe it.

"What's so funny?" Tomoe's voice sounded strange.

Kaoru took a few deep breaths as relief continued to wash over her. "Nothing, I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I don't expect you to find me on a Google search engine, or anything." She gave a light tsk. "You know what I do; why would I jeopardize everything I've worked for to mess that up?" She sighed at their confused look. "Mr. Himura, I protect people… very important people. I can't have my whole life on some stupid website for the whole world to see so that I can have something hang over my head, distracting me from the job at hand. The people, who really need me, know how to find me."

Tomoe's eyebrows shot up at Kaoru's words. "Do you have something could hang over your head, Ms. Kamiya?" Her interest into Kaoru's past unnerved her a bit.

That really wasn't any of her business, but she couldn't brush her off like that. She gave a shrug, trying to act nonchalant. "Everyone has a past."

"You expect us to trust you?" Kenshin's words caused her to blink in surprise. He had so much hostility towards her, but she didn't have the slightest clue as to why.

"If you want this to work, you're going to have to. But no, trust is earned, not given." She had to learn the hard way.

"You don't-"

Kaoru was losing her patience with him. It was early, she was tired and she hadn't had her coffee yet. He was lucky she hadn't shot. "Mr. Himura, don't assume anything about me or my life. How I work has gotten the job done so far. Whatever your issue is, is your business and as long as it doesn't interefere with my job… honestly, I don't give a shit."

Kenshin glowered at her. "How do you know you got the job?" No doubt he wasn't used to being talked down to like that.

She let out a sigh. "I seriously doubt you'd come to see me in my own home, looking passed attacking me, just for a social call."

Tomoe suddenly moved, startling Kaoru. She held her hand out, and Kaoru stared at it, not sure of what to do. Her brain wasn't registering anything right now. "Welcome to the team," she gave a tight smile.

Kaoru took her hand then, understanding dawning on her. "Thanks, I think." She was nervous about what to expect from this.

Tomoe nodded and looked over to Kenshin before meeting Kaoru's gaze again. "I'm sorry we intruded so abruptly." She stepped away and went to the door, Kenshin following her like a lost puppy.

Kaoru went to the door as well, and opened it for them. No problem, she wanted to say; expect it was. A problem, that is.

Tomoe walked out without another word, but Kenshin stayed at her side. "I'm sorry about that," he touched her throat lightly, and it took all she had not to cringe.

Kaoru shook her head lightly. "I'm sorry, too, for putting a gun to your head and all." He deserved it, though. "I haven't had my coffee yet, so I'm a little jumpy." She was trying to make light of the situation,, but his eyes darkened and she sighed. That obviously wasn't the way to go. A strange look in his eye made her pause, curious as to what was going through his mind.

"Put some ointment on that." He walked out after those words, hurriedly making his way to Marie's side.

Kaoru shut the door when she saw they had reached the elevator. "Okay," she breathed out the word. "Coffee." She was almost drooling at the world. She desperately needed something in her system.

* * *

**Oh, oh, oh... what's going on with Kenshin and Tomoe?**

**_Chapter three is done! I'm so excited for chapter four! You get to see some revealed secrets- but not too much. It's a bit early for that (smiles). I might write tonight for you. Yay!_**

**_Anyway, let me know what you think, please and thanks. (smiles)_**

**_-K_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Two in one night?! Yeeeesss, so proud of myself. I'll be even more proud of myself if you all enjoy it immensely! So, you'll have to let me know._**

**_I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, as always._**

**_Chapter 4 of "Keeping You_ Safe".**

* * *

It had been a week since Tomoe and Kenshin had made their visit to her apartment. Tomoe had avoided Kaoru since the initial visit, but Kenshin tried to keep in contact, spending time with her. He wanted to put their story together. Kaoru couldn't object, of course, as this was now her assignment.

They went out to lunch in highly populated areas, drawing a lot of attention to themselves, creating rumors in the process. His fans would come up suddenly, asking for autographs and talking amiably with him. It really amazing her with how at ease he was with everyone.

Kenshin had left then, a few nights later, leaving for Kyoto. She was left alone in blissful silence for the first time in days. She hadn't been woken up early and hadn't been bombarded with calls. By noon, she finally got around to turning on the television, instantly bringing up a Gossip channel. "Why," she silently whined to herself. She immediately wished she hadn't.

"… it's been reported that singing sensation Kenshin Himura is in a relationship with a young woman." The woman on the television stated, her face holding a serious expression, like it was detrimental news. "Details on whom this woman is, or how long they have been an item is still unclear," she took a deep breath. "Fans around the world are posting on their social networking pages; showing very mixed emotions."

The screen switched to a group of teenage girls, who looked like they were about to cry. Kaoru leaned back against her place on the sofa, trying not to laugh at their pitiful expressions. It was like the end of the world for them. "We just can't believe it," one girl sniffed indignantly. "We've known him way longer than her; it's not fair."

Kaoru snorted at their obnoxious words; knowing him and being his fan were two different things. She almost felt sorry for them, but not quite. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but criticize what she was watching; why would anyone report about something so insignificant to the world. Kenshin's life was his own.

Suddenly, another girl was on the screen with her friends, saying that if it made him happy, then she was happy for him. "I saw them here in Tokyo, and she was really nice and understanding when we crowded him," she smiled at the memory. Kaoru recognized her instantly after those words. She'd been kind enough to say something to her, apologizing even.

As another girl popped up on the screen, Kaoru had had enough. This was getting out of hand. "She's probably not even pretty," she sneered, and Kaoru rolled my eyes. "He totally deserves better. He-"

She shut off the screen and sighed. Gossip was so ridiculous. _What have I gotten myself into?_ It had only been a week and she already felt like her life wasn't her own. She couldn't help but sit back and reminisce on the conversation they'd had before he left.

_"Are there any rules that I need to be aware of," she paused in her thoughts, "aside from my own?" she'd added as an afterthought._

_Tomoe had requested to be set up on Skype as they held a private meeting in her living room. "Kenshin is quite popular," she started out. Kaoru had to stop herself from rolling her eyes; like that wasn't obvious. "His fans are a huge part of his life, and we need you to be as friendly as you can towards those who approach you." She gave a comforting smile. "It can be a little uncomfortable; don't let it get to you." Kaoru could only nod. That sounded simple enough. Be nice; I could do that._

_"And stop calling me Mr. Himura; It's Kenshin." That one would be a little trickier as she only called him Kenshin when she was irritated._

_Kaoru wouldn't argue though; she didn't need the hassle. "I'm sorry Mr.-"His glare cut her off and she cleared her throat in apology. "Kenshin," she finished weakly._

_"I'm just used to being formal," she began to explain. "It just makes everything easier without getting personal." It was her form of an apology without having to truly be sorry for everything. She just had her own way of doing things. Her eyes hit the floor, dropping his gaze._

_"You're just going to have to get used to it," his voice was soft but absolute. Kaoru's eyes shot up to meet his gaze again. _

_Thanks for being so understanding, she wanted to reply. Jerk. Clearly he also had his own way of doing things, and wasn't interested in hers._

Her phone rang, abruptly pulling her from the memory. "Hello?" she hadn't even looked to see who she was talking to.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Misao's voice greeted her. She still sounded so cheery, and in Kaoru's current mood, that wasn't exactly in her favor. She tried to shake the feeling she was in. "I should be asking you that; it takes a real woman to get shot in the line of duty," her voice was as light as she'd meant it to be. Good.

Misao gave a good natured laugh. "Don't avoid my question."

"Just peachy, thanks," Kaoru sighed, contradicting her own words. The lightness had disappeared, revealing that she wasn't as fine as she wanted to pretend that she was. It was hard being a singer's pretend girlfriend, even after a week. She felt like she couldn't go anywhere without someone staring at her; at least no one approached her… yet.

"I take it you saw it," her voice became small; nervous.

By 'it', I assumed she meant the news. "Yeah, I saw it. It was… interesting." And that was being nice about it. Misao was quick to assure her that they weren't always that bad. "It doesn't bother me," Kaoru replied. "It just seems like everyone's blowing it out of proportions when it really shouldn't be that big of a deal." She really didn't want to have this conversation with her. She knew that Misao was her best friend and she could tell her anything, but this was her employer and friend. She didn't want to be rude in any way. Quickly turning the conversation in a different way, she went on. "So how are you?"

"I'm getting around," she gave a frustrated sigh. "Crutches are killing me, but it's so much more convenient than a wheelchair." It didn't sound all that convenient to Kaoru, but whatever floated her boat.

She couldn't help but give a little chuckle. "I'm sure your giant husband wouldn't consider it a hardship to help you around without either." He really was huge.

Misao giggled, and then she heard what she never thought she would. "Let's try to keep the conversation off of others." Aoshi's deep voice hit her ear like thunder.

Speaker phone.

So that's why it sounded so funny. Bitch. She knew that Kaoru hated that. "Misao, I'm going to ask you a question, and you better have the right answer." She could hear the coldness in her voice. When Misao didn't say anything in response, Kaoru knew she had her undivided attention. "Am I on speakerphone?" She knew that she was, but she was giving the other girl the chance to notice her error.

"Yeah," she drew out the word and Kaoru tensed. "We wanted to see how you were, so might as well hear straight from the camel's mouth."

For one, that wasn't even the saying. For another, she felt her temper rising. She tried to keep it in check, but it was just a whirlwind of extreme emotion. "What's the one thing I ask you not to do when we're on the phone together?" Kaoru closed my eyes, mentally counting to ten.

1

2

3

"Oh, come on Kaoru; don't tell me you're mad."

"No Misao, why would I be mad? I mean, it's not like I can't have a normal, private conversation with my best friend; away from prying ears. I have one rule about phone calls; one. You know that and yet you seem to make exceptions for people. So you tell me: why would I be mad?"

4

5

6

"Oh stop." Misao sounded exasperated and Kaoru wanted to reach through the phone and smack her.

"We just wanted to see how you were holding up." Tomoe's voice hit the speaker this time. They were all there, of course.

"See how I was doing? This is the first fucking day I've had to myself. I'm doing just fucking peachy." She snarled into the phone and Misao protested at the foul language.

7

8

9

"Kaoru, it's not that big of a deal; just get over it." She sucked in her breath at her words at the same time Kaoru did. "Kaoru," she tried to say something, but was at a loss for words.

10

"And on that note, this conversation is over." Kaoru pulled the phone away from her ear as Misao yelled her name, trying to stop her from hanging up. She hung up anyway, not giving her another chance to say anything else that could piss her off. Get over it?! She didn't have rules for shits and giggles; they were there for a reason and she'd trampled on them like they were nothing.

"Fuck this!" She yelled into the air as she grabbed her keys and made her way out the door. She needed to let off some steam, and there was only one place to do that.

The next morning, Kaoru heard someone banging on the front door as she stood in the bathroom, drying off her body. She looked at her phone and her eyes widened.

_8:30_

What could someone possibly want that early in the morning?

Kaoru wrapped the towel around her body and left the room, walking to the door. She didn't bother looking out the peep hole. Her gun was on the table beside the door; if she needed to get it, she could. When she opened the door, Kenshin stood there. They looked at each other, our eyes growing wide.

"Sorry," he averted his eyes from her body. She instantly became conscious of the fact that she was only in a towel. "I didn't think you'd be in the middle of something."

She wanted to snap at him, telling him that she did have a life, albeit a small one, outside of her job. He'd apologized thought, and more than likely didn't come here to pick a fight. He didn't attack her either, which was a huge plus. Kaoru stepped back, graciously accepting his apology and inviting him in. "Make yourself at home," she shut the door behind him. Pulling the towel tighter around her body, she began to walk away. "I'll be right back."

"Take your time," he said as he gently sat down on her sofa.

Kaoru quickly pulled on some shorts and a tank top before pulling her hair into a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror in cringed. Her lip was cut and her left eye was red. She'd been boxing the previous day, letting off some steam. Sano, fortunately, didn't go easy on her because she was a girl. If she wanted all out, he'd go all out. Megumi, on the other hand, was less than happy with him.

When she made her way back into the living room, she smiled at him, her lips stinging a little. Kenshin looked at her, taking in her appearance before his eyes darkened. No doubt she'd have to explain about that. She offered him a drink, trying to break the ice, but he declined, continuing to stare at her. She pushed loose strands of hair behind her ear, sitting down in front of him. "What can I do for you?"

"I came to see how you were doing." He cut right to the chase. "You look like hell."

Kaoru leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sorry I can't look like perfect," she grumbled. Actually, she never looked like perfection, but that wasn't the point.

"I didn't mean it like that." He was trying to back pedal, making her smile. "I just mean… well, you look like you got into a fight."

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I went boxing yesterday." She touched her eye before running her finger down to her cut lip. "Some guys don't care if you're a girl; they go all out."

"Are you okay?" His words surprised her.

She nodded, unsure she heard his question right. "I'm fine. If this is the worst that will ever happen to me, I'll be lucky."

He sat there, staring at her wordlessly. "I, uh… I wanted to apologize for Misao as well."

Misao; she cringed. Looking back, she had overreacted. Kaoru could have been a little more understanding, but still… she could have tried to act differently, as well. "She doesn't need to apologize," she sighed in defeat. "I probably went a little overboard." Kaoru ran her fingers through her hair, giving an aggravated sigh. "One rule," she murmured.

"Why that one?"

Kenshin's question gave her pause. "Excuse me?" She didn't know what he was talking about.

"Out of every rule you could have, why is it about being put on speaker phone?"

"I'm paranoid?" It was the easiest way to explain the rule that she had, but he wasn't buying it. He leaned forward and placed his elbows against his knees. "I don't like having my thoughts and feelings broadcasted," she confessed after a few moments. It was really the best way to say it. "I know you can't do anything with what I've said but… it's just to protect myself; from anything."

Kenshin tilted his head to the side, silently taking in her words. He was really thinking about them, she saw. He wasn't just being quiet because of a loss for words. "I understand," he finally whispered. "It was wrong of her to not take you into consideration when she did that. It does sound like you're a little paranoid, though." He stuck his tongue out at her on the last part, teasing her.

Kaoru gave an airy laugh. "Maybe," her laugh faded off and she sat there, intertwining her fingers. "Hey, Kenshin?" He looked at her patiently, waiting for her to continue. "Do you really think this will work?"

He knew exactly what she was asking. This scheme; the lies he was delivering to his support system to keep everyone safe; hopefully. "Yeah, I think it will." He gave her a soft smile, and she could help but return it.

* * *

**_Yes. Yes. Yes. Chapter four, baby! You'll have to tell me what you thought. Was it too fast? Too slow? Too many unimportant parts (in your opinions)? What, what, what?_**

**_Thanks you guys! It means so much to me that you're even reading this!_**

**_-K_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**I really hope you're all enjoying "Keeping You Safe" so far. I'm really enjoying writing it. I have so much I want to happen and I'm going to make it fit one way or another. It's going to be... amazing. **_

_**Here we go: chapter** **five.**_

* * *

The next time Kaoru saw Misao, she had apologized for the way she had acted the last time the spoke. She had been in a bad mood, not that that was an excuse for Kaoru's behavior; she just didn't want her to think badly. Misao, after listening to Kaoru's constant apologies, had forgiven her. Not that she wouldn't have anyway.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked when Kaoru had settled down.

Kaoru smiled, "yeah, I'm all set." Kenshin had talked to her about their leaving for his tour when he had been over the previous day. They had really bonded in that time together. They weren't exactly friends, but they understood each other now. At least, more than they had originally.

"Great, let's get going then!" She stood up from her seat before she stuck her crutches out and hopped forward.

Kaoru doubled over in laughter. "Oh God Misao, that's the funniest thing I've ever seen you do!"

Misao's faced turned the colour of a tomato. "Don't laugh."

Kaoru couldn't help it; it really was hilarious. She walked over to her, picked up her crutches and knelt down in front of her. "Hop on, it'll be faster this way." When Misao wrapped her arms around Kaoru's shoulders as she stood up, she grabbed a bag by the side of the chair that was in the room as they walked out of the room and down the hall.

Tomoe walked out of a room and did a double take, quickly making her way towards them. "What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to be protecting Kenshin, not babysitting your best friend. That's what her husband is for." She huffed.

"Relax," Kaoru said.

"She stuck Aoshi on me." They turned to see the two men walking down the hall towards them. Kenshin slung his arm over Tomoe's shoulder and led her away from the group. All the while, he completely ignored Kaoru.

"Hello to you, too," she muttered as they rounded the corner, out of their sights.

"He's just distracted, "Aoshi commented to her as if it were an apology. He gently took Misao off of Kaoru's back and cradled her in his arms before taking her crutches.

Kaoru could only smile at them; they really were in love. "I have a question," she said. "What's with those two? Do they have some secret fling going on or something?" She needed to know in order to do her job right.

Aoshi didn't react, but Misao cringed against his chest. "Kenshin likes Tomoe," she admitted, "but she's already married."

Kaoru's eyes widened. "Oh, I see."

"Don't let it bother you," Aoshi said against the silence. "Even if Tomoe felt the same way, neither of them would act on it."

"Are you sure?" She looked up at the two as they continued to walk down the hall.

"Positive." He grunted as he leaned back against the door and opened it for her, leading out to the landing. In front of her was a luxurious private jet. Walking on board, they all noticed Tomoe and Kenshin as they sat in a corner and laughed at something one of them had said.

Kaoru had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. She took a seat at one of the tables before pulling a blueprint out of the bag she had been carrying. Unrolling it onto the table, she began to study it. She needed to know all of the ins and outs- anyway that someone could get to Kenshin, she needed to know about it.

It wasn't until Misao said something that Kaoru realized that they were sitting with her. "What are you doing?" She asked curiously; like a child searching for knowledge. Kaoru could only smile at her metal comparison.

"She's studying the layout," Aoshi answered for her. "Let her do her job."

"No, it's okay," Kaoru smiled, turning the sheet so that they could all look at it. "So, I need to know where all the entrances and exits are, see?" She tapped against the page. "They're all circled in red." She pointed to the green circles next, "I need to know what's at every angle outside of the windows. Just because they're not physically in the building doesn't mean that they can't get to someone."

"What about backstage, and the employees there?" Tomoe asked from her seat beside Kenshin.

Kaoru glanced their way and had to look away before she glared at the two. "I can only do so much from this," she shrugged.

"So you can't make sure nothing happens?"

"I didn't say that." Kaoru sighed before pulling a stack of papers out of her bag. She places them on the table.

Misao grabbed one and her eyes danced over the page. "Background checks?"

Kaoru threw a quick glance at Tomoe before her eyes hit her pages again. "I know how to do my job." No one said anything else after that, she went back to her independent studying. She could hear Kenshin whispering in Tomoe's ear and her giggling against the silence. She pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote on, discretely pushing it towards Misao.

_Whatever you think isn't happening between them is definitely_ _happening_.

Misao scowled as she read the note, scribbled on the page and slid it back to her.

_Bathroom. Now._

Kaoru had to hold back her laugh at Misao's face. She stood up and then went to help Misao. Aoshi gave them both a curious look. "Bathroom break." Kaoru explained. She cringed a little when she saw him read the note they had written to each other. She didn't really reflect much on it; it's not like he would call them out. Pushing it to the back of her mind, she helped Misao to the back of the jet.

They quickly closed the door and the first words out of Misao's mouth were those of denial. "No, it's not even possible."

"I can assure you, it is." Kaoru said. "I live to observe, Misao. Besides, it's not like they're trying to be secretive about it." She looked at herself in the mirror, "the light blush on her cheeks when he's close, the way they always have to be touching. Even in there, they were holding hands under the table." She looked to the floor, "it's sickening."

"I should go in there and give them a piece of my mind! Tomoe's supposed to be happily married and Kenshin is dating you! Some boyfriend," she muttered.

Kaoru laughed at her outrage. "Kenshin and I aren't really dating. We're doing this to keep him safe. As for Tomoe... well, she's a big girl. The mistakes she makes are her own." If they were attracted to each other, that was their business, but Kaoru's respect for the two of them were slowly slipping.

"I can't even believe the nerve of those too!"

It had made Kaoru irritated, but Misao was going way over the top. "You're overreacting. Let me do my job, that's all I'm here for." She patted the girl's cheek. Soon after, they walked back out but stopped short as they saw Tomoe going through her papers and laptop, which she hadn't even pulled out yet. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just double checking your work," she commented.

Misao picked up her crutch and put it in Tomoe's face, "listen-" but Tomoe had stood up and pushed the crutch aside, making Misao stumble and fall back.

Aoshi and Kenshin were out of the seats in an instant, making sure that she didn't land on her leg.

Misao had let go of the crutch as she stumbled. Kaoru grabbed it and flipped it over her shoulder; the top slammed against her side as the other end fell in front of Tomoe. "Don't touch my stuff." She growled. "You hired me to do a job; don't interfere."

"I'm making sure that you didn't miss anything," she said in a dismissive tone.

"I think I'm better at what I do than what you are." Kaoru countered.

Misao pushed against the guys, as they were holding her up, but Kaoru stepped in front of her.

"Move Kaoru, I'm going to kick this bitch's ass." She growled.

"What, with your one little crutch?" She taunted.

"Enough!" Kaoru screamed, surprising them all. She was losing her temper. "This is such bullshit. If you're both going to act like children, I'm going to treat you like a child." She pointed at Tomoe and then to a seat near the front cabin. "You, over there."

"I don't-"

"Now." Her voice was dark. Cold. "And you," she handed the crutch back to Misao, "over there." She pointed in the opposite direction of Tomoe. Her eyes held fury in them; she could feel it coming to the forefront. Misao only nodded and made her way to the seat assigned to her. She looked between the two of them. "You're not going to talk. At all. You're going to sit there and look back on what's just happened and why it shouldn't have. You're going to think about how you should have handled this situation." They didn't reply, but she knew they understand.

She took her seat and looked up as she felt someone staring at her. Looking up, both men were still there, staring down at her in wonder. "Well, sit down." And they did. Kaoru reached into her bag and pulled out her iPod. Placing the buds in her ears, she turned on some music and she looked back at her work and started to put it back in order.

"Why are we doing this?" Tomoe asked.

"I thought I told you not to talk," Kaoru said. "You're reflecting on why you're in the position that you're in." She knew Tomoe was giving Kenshin a pleading look and she smiled to herself. She was so predictable. "Kenshin," she called into the silence, "if you help her, you're going to be in the dog house. Don't even think about it." She never even looked up from her work.

She sat there for a while longer until she felt someone at her side. Looking up, she was surprised to see Kenshin there. She was taken aback as she looked into his eyes. Amethyst. She was used to amber. She looked at his face, and he seemed to be more relaxed, at ease, than what he usually was.

Kaoru smiled as she took out her ear buds. "Hey."

"Hey," he smiled back. "What are you doing?"

She held up the blueprint and papers that she had finally gotten in order again. "My job," she shrugged.

Kenshin looked at the pages before meeting her gaze again. Do you want help?"

"Really?" She asked, surprised. He nodded. "Sure," she smiled. For the rest of the flight, they looked over everything while they joked and laughed with each other. Aoshi even made comments from time to time.

Fifteen minutes before they landed, Kaoru looked to the two girls who were still in their corners. "If you two are done with your temper tantrums now, you can rejoin the group."

"_Only_ if you're done with your tantrums, "Kenshin reiterated. The look on their faces made Aoshi, Kenshin and Kaoru laugh.

* * *

**_I hope this didn't start out too slow for all of you. I hope none of it was slow. Really, the last thing I want is for you all to be so disinterested. I think it's interesting. What would you guys like to see, as far as you know right now?_**

-**_K_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_I'm really hoping that you're all enjoying this. I know I keep saying this, but it's totally true. I love that some of you are sticking with me through this. I wouldn't give you a chapter if I didn't think you wouldn't like it. Hell, if I didn't like it, I would delete it on the spot- all my hard work be damned. I want this to be the best for my awesome readers. _**

**_So here's chapter 6. May you be happy in your readings. (Smiles) _**

**_And I still don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Drat._**

* * *

That night was the first concert of his continued tour. _Kyoto._ Kaoru hadn't been here in forever, but it was still the same as she remembered it. On the way to the center where the concert was being held, Kenshin and Kaoru had gone over everything with Aoshi; all of their bases were covered.

Kaoru stood in the dressing room with Tomoe as Misao sat on a bench and applied the appropriate makeup to Kenshin's face. He'd gotten dressed earlier but Misao had a cloth of his clothes, making sure they didn't get ruined on her account. He wore a tight white shirt and black slacks while a sliver chain hung around his neck.

Misao wore a simple skirt and jacket combination while Tomoe wore a cocktail dress. Kaoru went with comfortable clothing. Her jeans hung tightly around her hips and her shirt was more loose than tight, but not enough to hide her curves. They were all very different tonight.

"I will never get used to this," he sighed as the smooth brush ran against his cheek. "Out of everything, this is the one thing I would gladly say goodbye to."

"Awe, but you look so good in foundation and eye shadow." Kaoru teased. He flipped her off as he looked at her through the mirror, and she laughed. "So how is this working?" She asked as she turned towards Tomoe. "If we need to get him off the stage, do we have a distress signal or something?"

"You tell us," Tomoe replied. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, I don't want to run and tackle him to the ground." She made a face and Kenshin laughed. "I'll figure something out," she sighed.

Misao finally finished and Tomoe looked at her watch, "almost time to go." She pointed to the closet. "Go find your jacket and put on your shoes." She turned to Misao and helped her out of the room.

Kaoru watched as Kenshin rose from his seat. He turned to face her as he walked in her direction. He gave her a soft smile as he walked passed her and into the closet.

"You know, sometimes I really hate wearing all of this," he commented from within the room. "It gets so hot on stage, and black leather doesn't exactly make it any better."

"I'm sure your fans would pay more to see you in fewer clothing." She smiled.

He stuck his head out of the room. "And that would never happen."

She laughed as he walked out of the room moments later. Kenshin made his way to her side as he held out his hand. "Ready?"

She looked at his face and then at his hand. "Uh, sure." She grabbed his outstretched hand. Kaoru thought he would break contact as soon as he could, but he kept hold of her hand as they walked out of the room and down the halls.

Passing VIP guests and employees, they made their way to the side of the stage. "Stay here with Misao and Tomoe," he smiled softly, reluctantly releasing her hand and walking out on stage.

_He should be an actor._ She thought. He was pulling off this relationship act really well and sometimes she question if he was being sincere or not. Probably not.

The fans went crazy at the sight of him. Tomoe leaned over and whispered into her ear. "Crazy, aren't they?"

She smiled at the woman. "Not too much," she admitted. She'd seen much worse. "It's great that he has such a support system. I think it really means something that they would come, in spite of the fact that they know he's a walking target." They hadn't exactly hidden it from the public.

They stopped talking as Kenshin breathed against the mic. "Hello Kyoto!" The crowd screamed his name and other things that were incoherent against the roar of voices. "First, I'm sure you've all heard of the news of my new relationship status," he began. The crowd gave mixed emotions. Some booed her whiles others cheered her on. The negativity seemed to be lost to him; either that or he was ignoring it. "I actually have a surprise for you tonight." He announced.

Kaoru's eyes widened as she looked at the two women beside her. "What the hell is he doing?"

"I think he's about to introduce you to his fans," Misao breathed, surprised.

"Can I opt out of this?" She asked as she backed away from the stage.

"I'd like you all to meet my girlfriend," she heard Kenshin say, though her mind couldn't accept the words just spoken. "She's here with me tonight. You'll be the first to meet her." He grinned.

The crowd gave him a positive response as they screamed their encouragement.

Kenshin held out his hand out to her, but all Kaoru could do was take another step back. "Give us a minute," he told his fans, "she's not used to such an awesome crowd like you." They all clapped as he walked towards her.

Kaoru shook uncontrollably as he reached her side. She couldn't do this; this was not in the job description.

He ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to soothe her nerves. "You okay?"

"I can't do this," she confessed to him, her voice small and timid. "I'm about to throw up I'm so nervous."

Kenshin gave her a sympathetic smile. "Nothing is going to happen," he tried to reassure her as he wrapped his arm around his waist, supporting her weight. "You can do this." He tugged her gently with him back out onto the main stage. Her face turned crimson in the spotlight; all the while, fans cheered and clapped for her.

She couldn't take it. Turning into his shoulder, she hid her face trying to collect her rapid breathing.

"It's okay," he whispered into her ear.

"It's not," she whispered back, her voice a little muffled by his clothing. "I'm about to pass out."

"I'm surprised you'd admit that to me." He pressed his lips against her hair, giving his fans what he wanted to see.

"It's less damaging to my ego."

He gave a small chuckle. "This is Kaoru," he introduced as his arm tightened around her. "She's a little nervous, so we won't torture her too much." He leaned down and whispered to her again, "turn around and wave." She did so, reluctantly, and fans waved back at her. "Now, what do you say we get this show started?!" He yelled. Another round of cheers went up and Kaoru couldn't help but smile. Kenshin took her back to Tomoe's side.

"I wish you'd tell me next time," she commented as she took Kaoru out of his arms.

"Why?" He asked, not sounding even slightly interested.

"So I could get her ready properly. Jeans and a t-shirt is not the appropriate attire for introducing the world to your significant other."

Kenshin opened his mouth but Kaoru, slowly but surely recovering from her nerves, stepped up. "You two can talk about this later. Go have fun." She smiled, lightly pushing him back onto the stage.

"I told you she wasn't even pretty," a VIP guest said to her friend as Kenshin started his first song.

Kaoru tensed at the words before she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders. She looked over to see Tomoe.

"I think you're beautiful." Misao whispered from the other side of her.

"Me too," Tomoe agreed.

Kaoru tried to smile and sound sincere, "thanks." She tried not to cringe as her voice fell far from it's mark. It was hollow.

* * *

After the show, Kenshin had to meet with the fans who had paid extra to see him after his concert. Honestly, all he wanted to do was go to their hotel and crash. He was so exhausted, but he had to do this. He grabbed Kaoru's hand as he walked off the stage and pulled her with him as he walked to the meeting room. Entering, he walked to the table in the center of the room and took a seat. One by one, girls claiming to be his biggest fan came to talk to him and get a picture with and of him.

Kaoru stood off to the side, watching him interact with fans even though she knew he had to be exhausted. The shadows under his eyes made them look like they were bruised. She frowned as she heard him clear his throat while talking to a young girl and her mother. This was the fifth time in the last ten minutes. She looked around the room, her eyes connecting with Tomoe's; she waved her over.

"What's wrong?'

"Could you go find Kenshin a bottle of water? I think his throat is dry."

Tomoe's eyes widened before she nodded. "He should have said something," she murmured before walking away.

Kaoru looked back at Kenshin - he was still with the girl and her mother. _Poor guy. _This was going to take forever.

Tomoe came back just as quickly as she had left. She lifted the water bottle from her side and handed it to Kaoru. "Here you go." She smiled before she went back to her place by Misao's side.

She sighed as she walked over to her 'boyfriend' and placed her hand gently against his shoulder.

Jerking at the unexpected contact, he looked back. He stood up from his seat as he gave her a slightly worried look. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," she smiled as she held out the water bottle to him. "Your throat is dry. Drink it."

Kenshin gave her a gentle smile. "Thanks."

She nodded and apologized for interrupting before going back to her isolated spot. She watched as fan after fan slowly made their way to him. She began to doze off when she felt someone grab her arm. Her eyes flew open, as she was ready to attack whoever had dared touched her. Before she could react, she looked into Kenshin's amber eyes.

"Calm down, it's just me." He whispered.

"What is it?" She asked as she looked around. There was only one person left.

Kenshin looked jerked his head in the direction of the lone girl. "That's Nanaka," he said to her, "and she was hoping that you would agree to take a picture with the two of us."

Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise. She didn't think that would happen... ever. She was strangely honored by the request and was certainly not going to turn it down. "I'd love to," she smiled.

He placed his hand at the small of her back as he led her over to the table where Nanaka stood. As the two girls stood side by side, Kenshin walked behind them and slide his arms around their shoulders. They stayed that way until the camera flashed a few times. The yong girl squealed and a hugged the both of them and then she was off. It was finally over. For tonight anyway.

Kaoru's eyes were heavy and she swayed on her feet before catching herself.

Kenshin, who was beside her as they walked, grabbed her arm gently. "Don't pass out on me," he teased.

"Ha. ha." She replied sarcastically.

They walked out of the room and passed another group who had stayed behind to get one more glimpse of the famous Kenshin Himura. "I still don't think she's pretty." The girl from earlier commented loudly enough for the both of them, and some other members of the staff, to hear.

"No," Nanaka replied, slightly surprising Kaoru. "She's beautiful."

Kenshin and Kaoru looked at each other as he smiled. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Yes, you are."

* * *

**_Holy monkey toes! I'm like... so impressed with this chapter. Honestly, it wasn't in the direction I had it going and boom- the characters decided they wanted to go their own way. Personally, it's way better than my way, so they can take control any time they want. (smiles)._**

**_So are you asking yourself any questions yet? What is going to grow between Kenshin and Kaoru? What's between Kenshin and Tomoe? Does Tomoe have beef with Kaoru? _**

**_Fear not, for I have the answers. You might not get them as soon as you like, but you'll get them. (chuckles)_**

**_Keeping You Safe is turning into a favourite of mine. Not to toot my own horn or anything (laughs)._**

**_Anyway, it's not about what I think (for the most part anyway), so what did you think?_**

**_-K_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_I'm so excited I just can't hide it! I'm so happy about you guys liking this. I just wanna do a happy dance. There's not much to tell say except... enjoy chapter 7! _**

**_And I don't own Rurouni Kenshin._**

* * *

The night in Kyoto had gone without incident. They sat on the plane heading to their next destination- Hiroshima. "Do you think anything will happen tonight?" Misao asked.

"I'm always hoping for the best," Kaoru replied as she continued to look over the information she needed.

Kenshin had his arm draped over the back of her hair as he leaned back against the seat. "Everything will be fine," he smiled as he closed his eyes. "I hope that you're ready for tonight." He told Kaoru.

She looked up from her pages and looked at him, "excuse me?"

His eyes were still closed. "Tonight. I hope you react better than you did last night."

Kaoru dropped her paper as her mouth dropped open. "I beg your pardon?"

His eyes slowly opened as he grinned at her expression. "You almost passed out last night. I'd rather you not."

"I have to go through this again?" She was outraged. Being in the spotlight was not comfortable to her, and he was putting her in bad situations. "Kenshin, I'm not-"

"Don't worry," Tomoe said from the other side of the jet. "We'll make sure that you're all set for the audience."

"But I don't want-"

"Kaoru," Kenshin started, "nothing is going to happen to you by coming onto the stage with me." His arm fell off the back of her chair and around her shoulders. "Trust me."

Kenshin played the boyfriend card very well. Kaoru smiled at his friendliness towards her. "Fine... I guess I don't have any other choice, do I?"

"Not at all." He laughed and she sighed. They talked for the rest of the flight as Kaoru tried to concentrate on the task at hand. When they landed, Tomoe took Kenshin as Misao went with Kaoru. She went into an extra room and pulled out outfits that Kaoru might have liked.

"What do you think?" She asked, pointing to the clothes around her.

"Something with a jacket," Kaoru said, "so that I can hide my gun."

They looked through the clothes where Kaoru found black slacks, a white button down shirt and a black suit jacket. "This is perfect," she looked at herself in the mirror. "I love it." She smiled.

"Sit down so that I can apply your makeup."

Kaoru did so and Misao went to work. The brush swept across her cheek a few times before she grimaced. "I can see why Kenshin hates this now."

Misao laughed at her words but said nothing until she was finished. "And there you go."

Kaoru stared at herself in wonder and awe. She looked completely different. Her lips were a rose color and her eye shadow lit her eyes with an indigo colour. "Wow," she breathed.

"You look beautiful." Misao said. "Now, let's go see what those two are up to, shall we?"

"Sure," she gave a slight chuckle. "but let me make sure that they're not in the middle of something."

She took the lead and opened the door, only to find the two in a lip lock. Misao was dragging behind so Kaoru quickly stepped into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

They jumped apart. "Kaoru," Tomoe started, "I-"

She held up her hand to silence the woman. "Look, if you two have something going on, that's your business. It would have been nice to know though." She tried not to glare, but it was irritating that they would hide it, even though it was so obvious.

Tomoe looked annoyed suddenly. "My personal life is none of your business." She snapped.

Kaoru took a step towards them. "I don't give a damn about _your_ personal life. I'm not here for that. You _are _involved in his life, more than in a professional sense at that. I need to know that in order to keep him safe!"

"How?" Kenshin asked.

"Whoever wants you can get to you through her. Whoever you have a personal relationship with, I need to know." She pushed her hair out of her face as she took a deep breath. She walked to the door and opened it, making the two take steps away from each other. "Decide what you want to do and then let me know," she said as she walked out, passing Misao who was making her way into the room.

"Kaoru?"

She looked back at her best friend. "Don't worry, I'll be right back." She walked away from the room. She found Aoshi with the rest of security; when he saw her she gestured for him to come over. She needed to talk to him.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I don't appreciate being lied to." There. Short, sweet and to the point.

"What are you talking about?" He sounded confused.

Kaoru had to keep herself from snorting at his feigned ignorance. "I don't know about you, but being caught in a passionate kiss isn't exactly nothing to me."

His eyes darkened as he took her meaning. "Tell me that you're joking."

She scowled at him, "do I sound like I'm joking?"

Aoshi sighed. "I'm going to kill him." He excused himself from the group as he motioned for Kaoru to follow him. They made their way to the dressing room. As soon as they entered, Kenshin took up and walked away from the girls... and Aoshi threw the first punch.

Kenshin staggered back before coming back and throwing a punch of his own. Aoshi, too, staggered back before they were in a tussle with each other. Tomoe screeched as she ran out of the way as Misao moved back as much as she could.

Kaoru, on the other hand, went over to them and pulled Aoshi back.

He reeled back, his eyes wild with adrenaline. He wasn't thinking, and Kaoru knew that, but as he back handed her and went back to deal with Kenshin, she staggered back against the wall.

"Kaoru!" Misao yelped.

"I'm fine," she reassured the smaller girl. She put the back of her hand up to her lip and pulled it away. Her lip was busted open. _Great._She leaned down and pulled a knife out from under her slacks. Opening the blade, she pulled the gun out from the back of her pants. She approached them again, only this time she got in between them. Kaoru pushed them apart before holding the knife to Aoshi's chest and pointing the gun at Kenshin. "Stop."

They both froze in place, staring at her. They breathed heavily as they tried to get hold of their surroundings.

"Act like grown men, the both of you." She felt herself say. Licking her lip, she tasted the blood. "Get back to your men, Aoshi." She said, dismissing him. He opened his mouth, but she cut him off before he could say. "Given the situation we're in," she looked at the knife, "I don't think you're in the position to argue with me." She glanced at the woman on the other side of the room. "Tomoe, escort Mr. Shinamori back to his team, would you?"

She nodded quickly before gently grabbing Aoshi's arm. "Let's go," she whispered as she tugged at him.

They made their exit and Kaoru turned to Kenshin. His face was red, but so far, the swelling wasn't there. She pulled the gun away from him and put it back in it's place, before covering the blade on the knife and put it back under her slacks. "Get ready." She tried to walk away from him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Misao, give us a minute," he told the woman as he led Kaoru to the door. They made their way across the hall and he pulled her into the room. "I think I need to explain something to you."

"What?" She really wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Tomoe and I. We... we've been together a long time. She's been in my life since my debut and we used to be a couple." Her eyes widened at the news. "We never went public, which was good because it didn't last long. We broke up four months after we started going out. It was hard to manage a professional life and a personal life with her. We couldn't have both; it had to be one or the other. That's what she told me anyway." He sighed as he sat down on a chair. "I liked Tomoe, but I didn't like her enough to end my career for her. We ended our relationship and she started dating someone new soon after. They got married a year later." He looked into her eyes. "They've been married for the last five years."

Kaoru gave him a confused stare. "I don't understand."

"After we broke up, we were still always around each other. We've had this sort of relationship on the side ever since. I guess I was just waiting to get caught." He shrugged. "That way I can end it once and for all. It was okay when no one knew, but something like this... it's not what I want." He gave her a smile, "so thanks, I guess."

"Kenshin..." she hadn't had any idea. "I'm sorry about confronting you the way I did."

"Don't worry about it," he smiled as he stood up and stood in front of her. "It's better this way." He took her hand and led her back to where Misao was. "Okay," he sighed, "let's do this."

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Kaoru asked, lightly touching his face.

"I have to do this." He smiled.

He was ready within the hour. Tomoe had made her way back sometime while Kenshin had been with Misao. He stood up and walked over to Tomoe, whispering into her ear. She nodded and they excused themselves.

Kaoru sighed as she looked at Misao, "can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you braid my hair?" She asked.

Misao's eyes widened. Kaoru never did anything new with her hair. Never. "Of course!" She smiled as she had Kaoru sit down. She braided the girl's hair down her back before making her way to the front of her. "Let me fix your lip." She smiled.

Kenshin came back as Misao was finishing up. He made his way over to her and helped her up. "It looks as good as new." He waited for Misao to lead the way out of the room before he and Kaoru followed.

"Where's Tomoe?" She whispered.

"She's getting herself together." He whispered back. "Apparently being dumped was the last thing that had been on her mind."

"I'm sure her husband can make her feel better when we get home." She commented before putting her hand against her mouth. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

Kenshin grinned at her words. "Not at all; you're absolutely right." They walked to the stage again, but Kenshin didn't let go of her this time. She walked onto the stage with him. "Hello Hiroshima!" Hey yelled without warning. Like Kyoto, the reply he received was welcoming. "How are you all doing tonight?" The screams were deafening and all Kaoru could do was laugh against Kenshin's shoulder.

She wasn't hiding her face like yesterday, but she didn't want to be far from him. This was still nerve-wracking. She scanned the audience for anything that seemed out of place; so far nothing. She smiled. She stood there by his side as he introduced her. They seemed to be very accepting and that made her heart warm. Who cared if they were crazy; they had good intentions. Most of them.

He let her leave quickly after, with a kiss to her cheek, before he got the crowd moving. The concert was almost over and everything was going off without a hitch, until Kaoru saw someone on the upper balcony. That was off-limits to everyone. They had it closed off. She looked at Aoshi, who was standing beside his wife behind her. "Watch him."

She left the side of the stage quickly as she made her way towards the upper section. Running towards the entrance, she saw someone there, leaning down with something in their hand. She crept up behind him. It looked like a him anyway. She didn't waste time, she grabbed the object out of the person's hand. A gun. How typical, she sighed.

He stood at his full height and she wanted to take a step back. He was built like Aoshi, who had hit her earlier. She knew what sort of damage this stranger could do.

His voice was menacing. "What are you doing, you stupid bitch?"

"Stopping you from doing something you'll regret." She said, unloading his gun and throwing the clip back at him.

He caught it and stared at it for a second before looking back up and rushing her. She darted to the left as he tried to make contact with her. Turning, he flung his arm out and struck her in the side. She landed against the ground due to the force. Sucking her breath in, she pushed herself to her feet, only to have him there, a knife in his hand.

Her eyes grew wide as he drove it down towards her. Acting completely on instinct, she slammed her leg up, between his and heard him whimper in pain as he fell back. She barely had time to right herself before he was on her again. Ripping her clothes with his blade, he tried to pierce her skin, but she slugged him. She hadn't seen someone this wild and unconcerned about their own safety in a long time.

"Why are you defending him?" He growled as they both tried to climb to their feet.

"Why shouldn't I?" She countered. She heard Kenshin announce that he had one more song for them, and without warning, the man took off through the exit. Kaoru didn't think twice as she followed him, stumbling through the darkness. She'd lost him; there was no use in trying to search for him. He was gone. _Shit._

Making her way back to the balcony, she noticed Aoshi there, holding the gun in his hand. "What happened?"

She shook her in disgust. "I lost him." Kaoru couldn't meet any of their gazes as she walked by them.

Aoshi didn't say anything as he escorted her back to where Misao and Tomoe were.

"Are you okay?" Misao asked.

"No." She said, still not able to look at any of them. Her eyes stung as tears threatened for fall, but she refused them.

"He got away," Aoshi told her, giving Kaoru a sympathetic look.

"You let him escape." Tomoe hissed.

"No, I tried to stop him. I-" She stopped as the crowd went wild, signaling that the concert was finished.

Kenshin smiled, thanked them for staying with him through these years and walked off the stage. Looking at Kaoru and seeing her head down and her ripped clothes, he instantly became worried, but he had to force himself to not run to her side. He pulled her into his arms as he stepped out of the spotlight. "What happened?"

"She let him get away." Tomoe huffed.

"No! I... I-" She felt silent as she sighed and placed her head against Kenshin's shoulder.

"Tomoe," Kenshin whispered as his arm tightened around Kaoru, "looking at the state of her, I'd say she didn't just let him walk away." He released her and stepped back before taking off his jacket and placing it around her shoulders. "Cover yourself up," he gently whispered in her ear.

"Thanks." She whispered back as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her away.

* * *

**_Yes! So now you know the secret behind Tomoe and Kenshin. Obviously she isn't handling it well, but Kenshin doesn't seem to care. Do you think that's wrong of him? Should he care that he put a stop to his 'relationship' with Tomoe just because he was caught? You tell me. _**

**_Who do you think the masked man is? I want to hear your guesses._**

**_Also, what do you think about Kenshin and Kaoru's fake relationship? Do you think they pull it off well, even in the privacy of those who know that it isn't real? How do you feel about Kaoru's sensitive side, even though she's a badass?_**

**_-K_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_First, I would like to reply to some of your reviews._**

**_Sapphire: I know! Tomoe is pissing me off. I'm not sure where I'm going with her, but I'm not going to push her in one direction if she wants to go in another. So we'll see. (smiles)_**

**_Hapiflower: There's always a deeper meaning, but I can't give everything away at once, can I? I've never written about a badass woman before, so this is so much fun! She's going to be more bold, if things go my way. I don't care what direction she wants to go in. She's going to have it my way or we're going to have some problems._**

**_Ageha obsessed: Oh! I like how you were open minded about who the creep could be. I didn't even think about it like that. Kudos to you! _**

**_Now, here's the fun part~ I do want to make a a little note here and tell you this chapter is mature. Like, hot and steamy mature. Okay, maybe not like that, but you get the picture. I'll mark it in case you want to skip it. I hope you all like chapter 8._**

**_Rurouni Kenshin will never be owned by me, and it makes my heart cry. Sort of._**

* * *

Kenshin's concerts had been sold out at all the destinations so far and they were finally going to Miyazaki, the last stop before heading north.

No other attempts were made on Kenshin's life and Tomoe had thought aloud about letting Kaoru go. The attacker had gotten the hint that Kenshin was well guarded.

"No," Misao had complained only to be quieted by Aoshi.

"It's not your decision." He told her.

"It's not hers either," Misao pouted, "she's his lover scorned manager." She looked at her husband. "It should be your decision."

"It is." The group announced, and Misao sunk lower in her seat.

Aoshi looked at Kaoru. "Do you think he'll be back?"

"She's just going to say yes so that she can keep her job." Since Kenshin had ceased his 'relationship' with Tomoe, she had become bitter.

"If you fire me, you need to double the security." She stated.

"He ran away," the woman protested.

Kaoru looked at her, piercing her with a deadly glare. "He ran because he wasn't expecting confrontation. That doesn't mean he won't be back. All he has to do is find another way to make his mission accomplished. Regroup and start again."

Kenshin sighed as he sat up; he really hadn't wanted to become involved with this, but it seemed like he had no choice.

"You just want it for the money." Tomoe accused.

"Stop," Kenshin sighed, a migraine setting in, "don't take cheap shots at her like that."

Kaoru stood up and looked down at her. "Stop being such a petty bitch. You're a big girl, get the hell over it." She looked at Aoshi; it was his decision after all. "If that's what you're all so worried about, keep the money. I really couldn't care less about it." She began to walk off and muttered an, "excuse me."

She slipped into the bathroom and sat down. She had no idea this would be so emotionally draining. When they had originally proposed the idea to Kaoru, she thought that she would have to be in a relationship in name only; she hadn't known she'd have to continuously act the part. When she'd found out the whole of it, she was somewhat against it, but her heart had told her to see how it went. She was so made at herself for that decision. The more she was around Kenshin, the more she liked him. _All of my relationships are so damned impossible! _her mind screamed. They only good relationship she'd had was a fake one- typical.

She stood up then and calmed herself down. Her eyes burned against the tears that had yet to form. Taking a few deep breaths, she opened the door and went to rejoin the group. Kaoru wanted to be nonchalant; it would make the parting easier. "Have you made your decision?"

Misao threw a glare at Tomoe, who flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked out the window.

"I have a question for you, first." Aoshi said to get her attention. "Do you _want_ to stay?"

"I don't understand..."

"It's a simple question, Kaoru." Kenshin commented.

Did she want to stay? Yes. A thousand times, yes. "Of course I do, but if you don't think that I'm needed or that I can do my job properly, then-"

"A simple yes would have sufficed." He replied as he stood up.. "Come with me," he took her hand and led her to an isolated area of the jet.

"Kenshin, do _you _want me to stay?"

Kenshin smiled at her sincere question. This was a job for her, but he couldn't help but feel as if it were something more than that. "Yes, I want you to stay."

"I don't want to cause problems." She whispered.

Kaoru was talking about Tomoe, and he knew it. "She can get over it. I'm not her bitch, and I can and will make my own decisions."

She tried to hid her smile, but she couldn't.

"There it is," he smiled as he grabbed her chin and gently tilted her head up so that he could look into her eyes. "I want you to stay, but only if you want to."

"I want to." She whispered before she leaned forward. Caught in the moment, her lips pressed against his. It felt like an eternity since she had been with a man, and kissing Kenshin brought all of her feelings to the forefront. They pulled apart after a few moments, their breathing hard and fast. She glanced to the side and noticed the beaming smile on Misao's face and Tomoe only glowered as Aoshi went on, acting as though he hadn't seen anything.

"I think we've got this covered then." He smiled against her hair as he pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nodded.

They went back to their seats and Aoshi informed her that she still had her job. She smiled as Kenshin took her hand in his. The rest of the flight, he stayed close to her.

When they landed, they were very early, so instead of going to the destination where the concert was, like they usually did, they went straight to the hotel. Checking into their different rooms, they all decided they needed some down time. Kaoru's room, as they all made sure, was next to Kenshin's.

The kiss they had shared was still affecting her, even now. Dropping her bags to the floor, she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed.

**(Mature) **

Kaoru didn't waste any time as she unbuttoned her jeans, slowly and sensually sliding her hand underneath the fabric pressed against her skin. She touched herself and felt the heat radiating against her fingers. Rubbing them against her core as liquid coated her, she moaned.

Her other hand made it's way under her shirt and groping at her breast. Sliding two fingers into herself, she moved against her hand, her breath becoming ragged. Closing her eyes, Kenshin's face appeared in her mind and she rocked harder while she clutched at her breasts more and more. She felt her control slipping- she really needed this.

**(End Mature) **

A knock on the door made her yelp in surprise. She took her hands out of her pants and shirt before quickly scrambling off the bed.

"Kaoru, it's Kenshin. Open up."

"Coming." She breathed as she buttoned her jeans up. Her fingers were soaked but she couldn't keep him waiting. Hiding her hand behind her back, she opened the door. "Hey."

"Are you okay?" He asked, eyeing her.

"Yeah, why?"

"Your face is flushed." He replied as he pressed his hand against her cheek, giving her a worried look.

The red colour on her cheeks deepened as she worried that she'd been caught; lying was not her forte. "I-uh..."

He stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. "What?"

"Nothing," she turned around, still keeping her hand out of sight.

He grabbed her and brought her against his chest. "You know, you're not as quiet as you think you are." He whispered into her ear.

She whipped around, wide eyed. "What?"

Kenshin pointed to the bed. "You're practically slamming it against the wall." He grinned.

She buried her face in her clean hand. "Oh God..."

"Do you want to?"

She knew what he was asking, and should should refuse him, but he knew what she did: she wanted him more than she could stand. She gave a subtle nod, before looking at the clock beside the bed. "I would love to, but we don't have enough time." She gave a wistful sigh.

"We might not have time to take it slow, but we definitely have time." He was talking quick, primal. No thinking, just doing. When she didn't answer, he placed his lips against her neck. "Only if you want to."

He was so accommodating, she smiled as she turned in his arms. "Oh, I want to."

He didn't need anything more than that. He held onto her hips as he walked her backwards to the bed.

**(Mature)**

She sat down on the mattress and stripped out of her shirt, her jeans quickly following, leaving her only in her underclothes. She looked up at Kenshin and saw the fire in his eyes.

He unbuttoned his shirt and quickly discarded it next to her clothes.

She leaned back and pulled herself up near the head of the bed and Kenshin quickly knelt down on his knees at the foot of the mattress. He grabbed her ankles and pulled her to him, quickly hooking his thumbs around her silk black panties. She blushed as he looked at her. She was still wet. He pushed her knees up to where they were bent towards the ceiling as he slid closer to her.

Rubbing his hand over her core, Kenshin suddenly slid two fingers in. Kaoru moaned as she arched her back slightly. He loved her physical response. As his fingers delved into her, he leaned forward and took her nipple into his mouth.

Kaoru squeezed her eyes closed as she rocked against his fingers, her own fingers digging into the comforter covering the bed.

"Kaoru," his uneven voice called to her as he leaned over her.

She opened her eyes as he separated from her. She wanted to pull him back; it hadn't been enough. Kaoru slid closer to him, unfastening his buttons and sliding the fabric down his legs. He fell out and her eyes widened at the size of him. She wrapped her fingers around his hard member. He was long and thick. She shivered with anticipation.

As she let go of him, she fell back and spread her legs wider so that he could take her.

Kenshin crawled in between her legs, grabbed himself and pushed into her.

Kaoru moaned at the welcomed intrusion. She reached up to him and wrapped her hand around his back and raked her nails against his skin.

He hissed in her ear as she pushed in and out of her, harder and harder.

He pulled her against him as he leaned back onto his knees. His arms wrapped around her, Kenshin pushed up into her as she cried out.

Kaoru's arms went around Kenshin's neck as she met him thrust for thrust, their bodies humming together.

He came inside her, hard and fierce... and she slumped against him, still in his arms.

**(End Mature)**

"That was..." Kaoru whispered, unable to find a word that could accurately describe that.

"Yeah." He knew exactly what she meant.

He leaned forward and and gently lay her on the bed before laying by her side.

Kaoru smiled as she leaned into his side. Her legs were jelly. "Thank you."

"Anytime." He said, before grinning down at her. He looked behind her and sighed. "It's almost time to go."

Kaoru frowned at the news. "I don't want to."

"Don't act like Misao." He kissed her cheek before he sat up, moving to the side of the bed.

"How do you know how Misao acts in bed?" She teased.

"Don't get smart with me." He replied as he stood up and gathered his clothes.

"I don't think I can go tonight." She told him.

He gave her a worried look. "Why?"

"I don't think my legs will hold me up."

Kenshin laughed and crawled back over her. "If you find the willpower to get up and come with me, I'll make it worth your while."

Kaoru's eyebrows rose. "Oh yeah? And how is that?"

"You'll have to find out tonight." He replied before pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

_**I totally wasn't lying when I told you there was sex. That was like... primal need sex. I dunno, some people enjoy that, some don't. **_

_**I'm going to be honest; I'm not sure where that leaves them. I mean, they've just had wild monkey sex, but to them, they aren't a legit couple. Gah, they're so confusing! You and I will see where that leaves them in the upcoming chapters!**_

_**Did you enjoy this chapter though? They seemed to be more open with each other. **_

_**-K**_


	9. Chapter 9

**_Holy crapolies. That's not even a word, but you're just going to have to go with me on this. Okay, recap. Kenshin and Kaoru had primal monkey sex. Don't ask me why I call it that. I don't even know. It's just... describing how legit primal it was. (shrugs) I don't have to make sense here. _**

**_They're being all lovey dovey and I totally love it. They better not eff it up, and Tomoe better not either. Caca. Okay, I'm done with this. (laughs)_**

**_hapiflower: Exactly! I'm still not sure where he's going with this and why exactly he cut it off (the relationship (chuckles)) so we'll see what the real reason is. Thank you for liking my story!_**

**_Sessrin (Guest): Awe, I'm sorry that you hate Kenshin. I think I can see why you think he's a dirtbag, but I'm trying to get across the point, that in the end, if asking for forgiveness you'll receive it... as long as you learn from mistakes. They're all human, and I'm showing that no matter what, he's still capable of giving and receiving love. All of the other emotions are those that can potentially be less enduring qualities. Hopefully that makes sense. I hope he gets better for you._**

**_Chapter 9 of this magnificent ride._**

* * *

Kenshin had kept his promise to her. She had gone to the concert, not like she had any other choice. She just didn't make a fuss about it. When they came back to the hotel, they had entered his room and taken things slowly. He had explored her body, and she had explored his. They laughed and talked about little things that they said to each other. The moment was perfect; or pretty damned close.

As the sun began to rise, Kaoru woke up in Kenshin's arms, the only thing covering her was the blankets. She turned her head to see if he was still sleeping, but his eyes were somewhat open. Kaoru smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning." His voice rumbled in her ear. "How did you sleep?"

He was making small talk, not that she minded. "I slept better than I usually do." He told her that he had too, and all she could do was smile. They lay there in the silence as she ran her fingernails over his hands. She recollected on what happened.

Kenshin felt her become distant in the silence. "Do you regret it?" He asked after a few minutes.

She sighed as she looked out the window; the room was still dark, but she could see the outline of everything. She remembered Kenshin opening the curtains before they fell asleep. "I should, but no, I don't."

"Because I'm just a job?" He asked, referring to the fact that she should, his voice becoming harsh.

She sighed. He would only pick up on that part. "No."

"Does this happen often?"

Kaoru tensed in his arms, before pulling away from him. Throwing the covers off of her, she sat up but never turned to look at him. "Is that what you think?" She asked, her face flamed with embarrassment. Shame. "That I sleep with everyone I work for?" She didn't wait for him to reply as she gave a humorless laugh. "I've only ever been with one other person who I worked for, and I can guarantee you, it wasn't something that I had wanted."

Kenshin had sucked in his breath at her confession.

Yes, even someone like her could be taken advantage. She shook her head as she stood and walked to the open window. "Thanks for making me feel like a whore." Kaoru whispered as she wrapped her arms around herself.

She heard him get out of bed, but she didn't turn around, she couldn't She didn't want him to see the tears threatening to fall. He was there a moment later, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he whispered against her skin as he placed his lips on her shoulder. "That wasn't at all fair of me."

"No, it wasn't." She didn't even try to be nice or understanding. He'd really hurt her feelings.

"I know you're not a whore, and I feel like an ass for making you feel that way." He continued.

Kaoru turned in his arms and stared into Kenshin's eyes. He looked sincere. "You're forgiven." She sighed. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stay mad at him.

"I know that saying that I'm not a morning person isn't an excuse for having a dick move."

Kaoru smiled at him. He really was trying. "It's okay, we all say things we don't mean."

Kenshin pulled her back to the bed, and they became comfortable again as she lay in his arms, her back pressed to his chest. "I was jealous." He admitted.

"For what?" She asked, running her fingers over his arm.

"Nothing, apparently." He muttered. "My mind gets going and I overreact."

"I see that." She bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.

Kenshin leaned foward to kiss her, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. He let out a harsh breath. "Who is it?"

"Tomoe." The voice came through the door.

"I'm busy, Tomoe." He called back.

"Answer it," Kaoru told him. "I'll let you two have a few moments together."

Kenshin smiled at her words. "Not that I don't appreciate that, but I don't want to be put in a situation with her."

Kaoru gave a smile, though she didn't feel it. "Don't trust yourself, huh?" _That _made her extremely jealous. They shouldn't be jealous of each other's relationships, their relationship wasn't real. She had to remind herself of that every chance she could.

Kenshin nipped her ear. "I trust myself just fine. It's her I don't trust."

Kaoru could understand that. Tomoe hadn't been the same since Kenshin had ended it. "She's not holding up well, is she?" He shook his head. "I'll be happy when we get back to Tokyo. Maybe spending a few days with her husband will do her some good."

The knock sounded again. "Kenshin!" Tomoe sounded desperate.

"Do you want her to know?" Kaoru sat up in the bed as she wrapped the sheets around her body. Tomoe would have a fit.

"Do you mind?" He pulled away and stood up, putting on his underwear and jeans.

"Not if you don't." Kaoru didn't mind in the least, especially by Tomoe. The woman had pissed her off one too many times. She knew she should feel bad, but she just couldn't.

He nodded as he fastened the button. "Lay back down then." She did as he said as he walked towards the door and opened it. Tomoe pushed passed him and walked into his room. Her eyes wandered and then widened as they landed on Kaoru.

Kaoru's eyes widened as well, as she noticed what Tomoe was wearing. A dress that left little to the imagination. She would freeze when she went outside. "Good morning." She said the manager.

Tomoe turned to Kenshin. "What is she doing here?"

He shrugged and Kaoru sighed. _Here we go_. "I've been here all night, Tomoe. We were in the middle of something, to be honest with you."

Her face turned a deep red, and she looked like she was going to explode. She glared to Kaoru. "You twenty minutes before we're up in the air. You better get ready." She slammed her shoulder into Kenshin's arm before she made a grand exit.

Kenshin shut the door behind her. "That went well."

Kaoru laughed.

* * *

The flight was tense. Tomoe only spoke when spoken to, and every time Kaoru talked to Kenshin, she would make little noises of annoyance or feigned hurt.

Kaoru sighed as the flight became the longest of her life. "Where now?" She finally asked Aoshi. She'd give Kenshin a break from listening to Tomoe.

"Toyama, then home for two weeks." He looked at a piece of paper before meeting her gaze. Then after that we have four more cities and we're done."

"Then what?"

"Then your job will be over." Tomoe said from her seat away from the rest of them.

Kaoru didn't want to argue, so she just nodded and went back to sitting there. Misao had been sleeping since they left. Aoshi had told them that she had a hard time getting to sleep the previous night, but Kaoru swore she could hear the laughter in his voice that he was trying to suppress.

"What are you thinking?" She felt Kenshin's breath in her ear.

Tomoe, again, made a noise of annoyance.

Kaoru made a noise in the back of her throat. She leaned her head back and glared at Tomoe. "I'm thinking that I'm about to beat the hell of out of someone if she doesn't shut the hell up." Tomoe glanced at her, shocked. "Yeah, you know I'm talking to you. Knock if off."

Tomoe remained quiet after that, fuming.

Kenshin looked over at her from time to time. Finally, he couldn't help but give a little chuckle. Kaoru looked at Kenshin as he leaned down, closer to her face. "I like a woman who takes charge."

He was talking about her earlier outburst to Tomoe, but she was in such a good mood, she couldn't help but give him a seductive grin. "Yeah, I know."

"I thought you two would have gotten that out of your system." Misao murmured from her place beside her husband.

Kenshin looked stunned at her words. "Like you're one to talk." Kaoru teased.

Aoshi set his his pages down. "No." He looked at Misao as she sat up and then looked at Kaoru. "I don't care what you two talk about, but your sex lives are not what I want to hear about."

"But we're married!" Misao sputtered.

He gave her a mock glare. "It doesn't mean I want to hear you talk about it with your best friend." He said, ending the conversation.

"Spoiled sport." She muttered and Aoshi reached over and lightly flicked her ear.

Kaoru stuck her tongue out and Kenshin laughed. "I'm with Aoshi on this one." Kaoru turned to look into his eyes. "I'm okay with it all, but I don't want to hear you girls gossip about it."

She nodded in understanding before something clicked in her head. "You're okay with it all?" _It all _being the sex. Just okay?

"Don't overrthink." He told her. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah..." She leaned against his shoulder and went closed her eyes as the group remained silent again.

* * *

A week had passed since the concert in Toyama, and the group now had another week off before leaving again. Since being home, Kenshin had spent a lot of time with Kaoru. They made public appearances, had local fan meetings and had spent the night with each other. They were more like a real couple than either could admit.

Kenshin had told her while they were in bed that he would have to leave early in the morning because he would be gone for a few days. She lay next to him, her arm thrown over him and her chin rested on his chest. "Aren't I supposed to protect you?"

"Don't worry, I the person I'm visiting has their own security. I'll be as safe as I am there as when I'm with you."

"Are you sure?" Kaoru wanted to make sure that he would be safe, at all cost.

"Yeah, I'll call you when I can so you know I'm still alive."

"If you die, I'll so kill you."

"I think you missed the point of that. Someone would have already taken care of that for you." He rubbed his hand through her hair.

Kaoru lay her cheek on his chest and tightened her arm around him. "Let's not joke about you dying." She whispered into the silence.

"Hey." Kaoru looked up at him. "Nothing is going to happen. I'll come back."

"You better." She said as she leaned up and placed her lips to his. She lay back down and after a few sweet words to each other, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

When she woke up the next morning, Kenshin was gone. Kaoru stretched before standing up and walking into the kitchen. She walked to the table and noticed a small note for her. From Kenshin.

_It's only a few days. I'll be back, I promise._

_-Kenshin_

Kaoru smiled and ran her hand over the note. She was about to pick it up, but the phone rang, distracting her. "Hello?"

"Kaoru?"

"Megumi?" She hadn't talked to the woman in what felt like forever, but it had only been two months. "How are you?"

"Pregnant," she sighed, "very pregnant. That's what I was calling you about actually."

Kaoru frowned. "What happened?"

"I, uh... I need someone to go with me to my... my ob/gyn."

"Where's Sanosuke?"

She heard Megumi give a disgusted sigh. "Work. No one will come in to cover for him, and I need someone to go with me; being so close, I don't feel comfortable going by myself."

"Of course, of course." Kaoru said, moving away from the kitchen and into her bedroom. "When do you go?"

"In three hours. Is that too soon for you?"

"No, not at all. I need to take a shower and get ready. I'll be over then." They said their goodbyes and she went rushed to get ready. As the time ticked closer, she finally left to get Megumi, who was patiently waiting outside for her. "It's freezing, why are you standing outside?"

"I didn't want you to wait for me to get out here, so I decided I'd just wait for you. Don't worry, I haven't been out here long." They drove to the building and Kaoru pulled up to the door.

"Go in and I'll go park the car." The woman nodded before slowly getting out and entering the building. Kaoru parked the car, pulled her jacket over her as the wind blew violently against her and she made her way into the building.

* * *

_**Okay, so here's chapter nine. I hope you didn't find it boring. I just had to set a different scene for the drama to come. **_

_**Do you think Kenshin and Kaoru are moving to fast, physically? Emotionally, I don't think they could be moving any slower. I want them to admit their feelings to each other, damnit! Not yet, though.**_

_**So tell me what you thought of them, I'm curious to know all of your thoughts. Remember, two months have passed. Is that too quick for you?**_

_**-K**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**I've set the stage for a new issue!... it's minor so don't expect too much, but I might do something with it later on. It's probably so incredibly obvious, but I like where it's heading anyway. I'm so pumped for you all to read it! Chapters are coming faster than I could ever imagine, so I hope you don't feel like the story is turning into a negative... whatever, in any sort of way.**_

_**So, I know that I haven't brought up Megumi and Sanosuke since chapter one, but they aren't all that relevant to where this is going. They might be more important later, but I'm not too sure yet. More surprise character(s).**_

_**Sapphire: I'm so glad you liked that part! I sort of have an offbeat sense of humor so I don't know if people get it. That makes me smile!**_

**_(Unknown) Guest: Yeah, I don't think rockstars would have a lot of enemies, not compared to a famous swordsman anyway (hint hint, nudge nudge). We'll just have to see who it is. (smiles)_**

_**Chapter 10!** _

_**Important note: Okay guys, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I might not update tomorrow. I don't get to spend time with my mom and sister very much so tomorrow is that day. If I do get downtime to write, I will. But, no promises.  
**_

_**So, to all of my American friends: Happy Thanksgiving in advance! I'm very thankful that you're all supporting me by reading my work. **_

* * *

Kenshin had called Kaoru while she was with Megumi. She didn't want to answer, because she didn't want the attention of those sitting around them, but she had to. She needed to know that he made it okay. "Do you mind?" She asked, and Megumi shook her head, giving her a warm smile. She answered and put the phone up to her ear. "You're still alive."

Kenshin's laughter came through the phone. _"Yes, I am. I made it and I just wanted to let you know."_

She gave a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

_"What are you doing while I'm gone?"_ Noise clinked in the background.

"Not much. I'm sure I'll find something to keep me busy." There was a clink again. "Is everything okay?"

_"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sorry." _Clink._ "Hey, can I call you back later tonight?"_ He was distracted.

"Yeah, whenever is convenient for you."

_"Thanks."_

"Bye." She heard him hang up. She turned to see Megumi looking at her, an accusing look placed on her face.

"So, who was that?" She leaned back, crossing her arms and resting them on her stomach.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't want the news?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. "A rockstar having a girlfriend is _not_ news."

"But you've heard about it." She pointed out.

"Yeah, I've heard, but I just wanted to hear it from you. How did that come about?"

"Um," Kaoru didn't know how to answer that. _My job? _Yeah, because that would go off so well, "to be honest, I'm not really sure. It just... happened."

Megumi shifted towards her. "Well, who introduced you two?"

That Kaoru could answer. "Remember Misao?"

"Makimachi?"

Kaoru nodded. "Except now it's Shinamori. She's married to Kenshin's best friend and she also works for him." She explained, as much as she could, about how they had met. Knowing that Misao was shot didn't affect her job. Kaoru talked to the woman for the rest of the time that they were together. When Kaoru took her to the gym the Sano worked out, he walked out from behind the desk and took her from Kaoru.

"How did it go?" He asked, looking between the women.

"She's starting to dilate." Kaoru beamed at the two of them. "Congratulations." She turned to walk to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sano asked.

"Home." She smiled back at them. "I've got a lot to do." Megumi opened her mouth to apologize for dragging her out of the house, but Kaoru shook her head. "I enjoyed catching up. I've missed seeing you." It had definitely been too long, but she didn't want to dwell on it. "Thank you for asking me to go with you." With a goodbye, she left and went home.

As she sat on the floor by her coffee table, she remembered what Aoshi had said on the jet. Four more cities, huh? She had no idea where they were, but it should be easy enough to find out. Google, the world's best friend. She smiled, there they were, clear as day:

Niigata

Morioka

Hokkaido

Fukushima

Her blood ran cold when she saw Hokkaido on the list. The one place she never wanted to be again. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, you haven't called me for awhile."

She tired to smile, but she couldn't. "I know, I'm sorry."

"What do you need? I'm working."

She tore her eyes from the page and snorted at his words. "Excuse me, I'm the one who makes sure you have work."

"Yeah I know, and I'm in the middle of it."

"Yahiko, what is your problem? You're acting like a dick."

He sighed into the phone. "I'm trying to remind you of how cruel the world is, Kaoru; reintroducing you to real life. Here's your much needed wake up call: You're getting too attached to Himura."

"I am not." Kaoru argued.

"Don't act like a child," Yahiko whispered into the phone. "You think I don't watch television to see what's said about you or how you portray yourself to the world? The way you look at him... it's not an act, it's genuine. He's just a job."

"He's not!" She froze at the words that just slipped out of her mouth. "I mean... I just..."

"Kaoru, if you're serious about this-"

"I don't know Yahiko... I don't see how this would work out." She wanted this to, more than anything... but Yahiko was right, this was a job. And when it was over, she would have to walk away. It's what he was expecting and it's what needed to be done.

Yahiko said her name, getting her attention. "Don't worry about it right now. You still have a little while. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to."

"That was some big wake up call." She snorted. "Either you want it to or you don't."

"I never said I didn't want it to," he reasoned, "I just said you're getting too emotionally attached. I want what makes you happy. You know that."

"Yeah..." She didn't sound as sure as he had in his statement.

"I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah." She hung up, forgetting about the initial reason she had called him. The rest of the day, she aimlessly walked around her home. She couldn't finish anything she started; she was too distracted with how she felt about Kenshin. Kaoru hadn't meant to admit her feelings out loud, let alone to another person. By keeping those feelings to herself, she'd hoped that they would go away. Repress themselves. Now... now they were out in the open and she couldn't take them back. Not that she wanted to, but... whatever it is that they had, it wasn't permanent.

Night couldn't have come soon enough. The darkness slowly settled in, and as the lights in the city began to turn on, Kaoru curled up in her bed and lay there. She closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would claim her. Tonight, her past haunted her and she couldn't get comfortable. She started to drift when her phone rang. She blindly reached for her phone before putting it to her ear. "What?" She sighed, thinking it was Yahiko.

"Not the greeting I was expecting."

Her eyes flew open. _Kenshin. _"Sorry, it's been a stressful day."

"I guess you found something to keep you busy." He tried lightening her mood.

She smiled at his attempt. "Yeah, you could say that. How did your day go?"

"Don't even ask." He sighed, the tone of his voice instantly changing. "It's been ridiculous."

"Oh," she paused, "well, if you want to talk about it..." She left it to him to finish her sentence.

"Thanks, but I'd rather not." Kaoru nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "I told you I'd call you back, so I just wanted to say good night."

"Kenshin?" She asked, trying to work up the nerve to confide in him.

"Yeah?"

"I... I," she sighed. She couldn't do it, "it's nothing. Sorry."

"You sure?" He asked, though he didn't sound quite sincere in his question as he would have had he been fully invested in talking to her. It was more like a rehearsed reaction.

"Yeah, good night."

"Bye." He hung up and she wanted to throw her phone across the room, but instead she placed it by her head as she grabbed her pillow and pulled it to her chest as tears silently fell.

* * *

The next two days, Kaoru distracted herself from Kenshin. She tried to take her mind of off everything that was happening...everything that had happened, but for the passed few days, the past had been haunting her mind, her dreams, her life. Ever since she'd seen that Hokkaido was on the list, she couldn't shake her bad feeling. Kenshin rarely called her but when he did actually call, she tried to act as nonchalant as possible. He was always the one to leave first, not that she minded. Honestly, she thought he'd forget to call her after the first night. They didn't talk long, maybe five, before he had to leave for some reason that he couldn't tell her. He had yet to call her today, and when her phone rang, she expected it to be him. "Hello?" She answered.

"You've got a problem." Yahiko said from the other line. "And I mean a big, big problem."

She felt her heart drop into her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"Turn on the television and look."

_God, please don't let it be Kenshin. _She would never forgive herself is something happened to him. Reaching for the remote, she turned it on. As the images played across the screen, with a woman speaking in the background, bile rose from Kaoru's stomach. "Oh God..." this was so much worse.

"Did you know about this?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, I went there with Megumi."

"Takani?" He was great with remembering people from his past.

"Yeah. She married Sanosuke Sagara."

"Rooster head?!" He sounded amazed, not that she could blame him. She had been surprised to.

"She's pregnant, and asked me to go with her." She sighed. "I didn't even think about someone seeing me."

"Damn," he sighed, "you're screwed. Just think about Himura is going to react."

"That's making me feel better," she replied, her voice serious. "You would think he'd trust me a little bit." Why wouldn't he? He trusted her with his life, why can't he trust her to tell him if something important like that happened?

"Guys are weird like that. You girls aren't the only ones who overreact to simple things."

Kaoru laughed at his words, "you're too smart for your own good, you know that?"

"Oh whatever, you know you love me for it."

It was true; she did love Yahiko. He was like her precious baby brother. "I know." She smiled. A knock at the door drew her from her conversation. "Someone's here, so I'll call you back." She hung up and walked to the door; opening it, she found Kenshin. _Great, just great. _

"Hey," she stepped back, "come on in."

He took a step in and froze.

Turning, she cringed as she realized the segment was still showing. "Um..."

"I hope you know I'm expecting an explanation." His voice was distant, and all she could do was sigh.

"There's nothing to tell." She shrugged as she led the way in to the living room. She sat down and gestured for him to do the same.

"Nothing to tell?" He sounded furious. "You were at-"

Kaoru's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "I know where I was," she interrupted, "but that wasn't for me." She sighed again at his confused stare. It looked like he was going to get an explanation after all. "My friend is pregnant. Her husband works at the gym a ways down the road, and he couldn't get off so she asked me to go with her." Her eyes softened as she looked at him. "That's all there is."

Kenshin sat there a moment, looking as though he was contemplating what she had told him. Weighing in his mind whether it were fact or fiction. His shoulders, which had been tense since his arrival at her door, relaxed after a few minutes. "I was so nervous." He confessed. "I didn't know what to think when I saw this playing this morning." He gestured towards the television.

She gave him a faint smile before she stood up and went to kneel down in front of him. Placing her hands on his knees, she looked up into his eyes. "If something like that happened, I don't care what the situation is, I would tell you." It wouldn't be fair to keep that from him. "I promise," she whispered, "I'm not."

Kenshin sighed before pressing his forehead against hers. "Just the same, I'd like to hold off for awhile."

The way he had swept into her apartment hadn't exactly endured her to be intimate with him at the moment. He had been there for fifteen minutes and had already introduced her to an emotional roller coastere She had no idea what was with him. He'd probably had a bad few days; his eyes were amber. _Or this new could have been his trigger,_ her mind whispered. "Whatever you want."

She swept her fingers through his long red hair. "How did your trip go?" She wanted to make sure she hadn't been the cause of all of his distress. He gave her a look and she held her hands up in defense. "Still don't want to talk about it." She replied to her own question. Kaoru wanted to be a little irritated that he couldn't, wouldn't, tell her, but she understood. It was a personal matter, she'd found out the night before he left. He couldn't even tell her where he had been going. She hadn't been completely honest with him either, and it had been tearing her up inside. She stood up before walking into her room. While she was in there, she spoke loudly to him. "I thought you were going to be back in a few days."

"I was," he spoke at the same volume, "but after seeing this, I had to come back and be sure. I didn't want any surprises."

Kaoru's head popped out in the doorway. "You shouldn't have interrupted your trip for something like this."

He stood up and walked towards her. "I would have called, but this is a little too serious for a phone call." He stood in the doorway as she aimlessly walked around, picking a few things up and putting them in a different location. "What are you doing?"

She stopped and stood there, her back to him. "Nothing." False. She had been distracting herself from the thought of her deceit from him. She couldn't even look at him without her life, her screw ups, being thrown in her face. _It's time,_ she thought before turning the conversation in a different direction. "Who chooses where you perform?"

"Tomoe mostly. She'll find locations and make arrangements. If it isn't possible, we'll find different locations. Why?"

Her back was still to him, she waited to answer. She had wanted to chicken out of telling him, but she couldn't. She wanted him to be honest with her, but how could she expect that without starting it. "Why Hokkaido?"

"Why not?" He took a step forward and her body tensed.

"I... never mind." Kaoru couldn't do it. No matter how much she wanted to push herself, she couldn't. She didn't want to burden him with unnecessary problems and worries.

He hadn't moved once she flinched at the sound. She was hiding something, and he didn't want to come on too strong. "Kaoru, tell me."

"Kenshin." She whispered, as she held a small music player in her hand. "Does this sound familiar to you?" A song began to play. A soft melody that was more like a lullaby.

It was a song that he'd written for a girl he met once. She'd publicly declared, more than once he mused, that she was his biggest fan. Her father was a very powerful man, and his family had to leave with a protective order. They had to be kept safe. Her one wish before she left was to meet him. He'd been honored, and once he met her, he was taken with her personality. She was incredibly sweet, and because of her declarations, he'd written the song for her. "Where did you get that?" She turned her head to look over her shoulder, and he noticed the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"The girl who you gave this to, gave _me _this as a present before I came home... before she died."

* * *

**_Okay, I'm such a bad person for leaving you hanging. Don't worry, don't worry. Kaoru will definitely explain. Is it getting too complicated yet? What did you think of this chapter? Had to have some baby drama in there, I know. (Sigh)_**

**_I hope it was okay for you guys (though I'd love it if it were more than okay)._**

**_I'll be updating as soon as I can._**

**_-K_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_I hope all of my American readers had a great Thanksgiving (and break). As for the rest of you... well, I hope you had a good weekend. (smiles) Anyway, I haven't thought about this all week, because really... I don't want to over think and just end up effing this story up in my head. I'm thinking about a different story though. (chuckles)._**

**_Oh,_**

**_hapiflower: I'm not sure if that's relevant or not yet. Sorry (smiles) Thanks! I did have a great thanksgiving. I wasn't alone this year, so it was amazing. Nah, Kaoru isn't the girl, but she's connected. You'll just have to find out how._**

**_I hope you all enjoy chapter 11 of "Keeping You Safe"._**

* * *

Kenshin opened his mouth to reply, but his phone rang. "Hello?" He paused to listen to the person on the other end. "I'm busy actually," he paused again. "No, it's only temporary. I want you to take my calls for the next few hours, okay?" There was another pause. "Yeah, thanks. I'll talk to you later." He tossed his phone on the table nearby before piercing Kaoru with a glare. "What do you mean?"

"The girl-"

"Her name was Honoka." He growled at her.

She couldn't deal with this, not today. She wanted to say never mind and just forget that this had happened. She wanted him to leave; she wanted to deal with this by herself. She didn't want to tell him what had happened to her. _Why did I have to say anything? _"I know what her name was." She couldn't look him in the eyes.

Kenshin lifted her chin in his grip, continuing to glare at her. "Kaoru," he growled. She cringed at the venom in his voice. He was losing his temper. "What happened?"

Kaoru shook her head; the tears she had been holding back had finally began to fall down her cheeks. The memory was too painful and she didn't want to do this. "I can't," she whispered.

"You can what?" He asked. He sounded confused and standoffish, not that she blamed him.

"I can't do this," she wiped at her eyes, wanting the tears to stop. "I just need to be left alone."

"No." His answer was absolute.

Kaoru's eyes shot up, her eyes wide. "What do you mean 'no'?" She tried to sound angry, but she just sounded broken.

"The answer is pretty self-explanatory, Kaoru. I'm not going to leave you alone."

She tried to turn her head away from him, but he held her chin in place. "Kenshin, if you don't leave, I'm going to throw you out." She wanted to be alone, why couldn't he understand that? She didn't want him to see her like this. She was strong and weakness, especially in front of others was unacceptable. He couldn't see her like this.

"Don't do this," he pushed her hair out of her eyes before he wiped them with the pads of his thumbs. "Talk to me." His voice had completely changed. There was no anger, just gentleness. "Let me help you."

"You can't…"

"Don't run away because you're afraid." He ran his thumb down her cheek. "Let me help you."

"Do you trust me?" She couldn't resist the question.

"Yes," He answered instantly. "Do you trust me?"

Kaoru sighed. He would turn this back at her, and he should have.

"Honoka," she whispered. "I met her when she was twelve. I was older than her, so at first it was hard to connect. She was shy, but had random spurts of boldness and I was drawn to her. She was like me when I was young, before I started all of this." Kaoru took a shaky breath. "Her father was an important man in the government. He was an official, but he had dealings with yakuza. Something went wrong and there were threats on his life and against his family. They were sent to Hokkaido, though I'm not sure why there specifically."

Her voice broke as the words left her lips. Kenshin pulled her into his arms and sat down on her bed, Kaoru in his lap. She continued to tell him how the song had come into her possession.

"After a few weeks, we were inseparable. Honoka and I did everything together. She was like... like a little sister, I suppose. Nothing ever happened to her and for that I was grateful. She didn't know what I was there for, only that I was there to keep her company. I didn't want to show her who I really was. Two years passed, and finally, the threats stopped, the person sending them was caught and I was released from my duties. I was coming home..."

_Kaoru walked into her room to finish packing, only to see Honoka at her desk. She sat on the chair, waiting for her. "What are you doing?" Kaoru asked a light laugh in her tone. Honoka had always been welcomed into Kaoru's room; she enjoyed the girl's company._

_The young girl looked up at her with a smile. Kaoru looked down at Honoka's hands and there sat a wooden box. She held it up to Kaoru. "This is a jewelry box that I had made for you, so that you won't forget me. I'm the only one in the world who has this song, and I want to give it to you." Kaoru took the box and Honoka followed, pulling her into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."_

_"Oh, sweetie, I'm going to miss you too." Kaoru wrapped her arms around her. "I'll always be here if you need me though, okay?"_

_"Yeah!" She beamed up at Kaoru._

_She played the song while holding onto the young girl. "Who sings this?" She'd never heard it before._

_"Kenshin Himura." She giggled._

_Kaoru smiled at the girl's reaction. "Really, that seems so… different from what he usually does."_

_Honoka could only nod before she switched topics. "I know that you're leaving today and... I was wondering... can I ride with you to the station?"_

_Kaoru's eyes widened at the request. "What does your father say?"_

_Her face crinkled in happiness. "He said it was fine! When do you leave?"_

_"In a few minutes actually. I just came in to get my things."_

_"Oh... well let's go!" She grabbed the bag and pulled on Kaoru's hand, trying to move her out the door._

_Kaoru could only laugh as Honoka pulled her other bag and they left. The ride was filled with words and laughter. When they arrived at the airport, Kaoru bought her ticket while Honoka stood off to the side. It was late and the area was practically deserted. When she turned back around, Honoka was on the floor. _

_Kaoru screamed as she knelt down beside the her, taking the trembling girl into her arms. "Honoka!" She could feel the tears stream down her face as she held the girl in her arms. Employees crowded around them, calling for paramedics and security. They wouldn't make it, Kaoru knew. Her throat had been cut. "Honoka, stay with me," she whispered. She wanted my words to make her instantly better. Kaoru didn't want anything to happen to her. _

_She had tried to respond, but she gargled, choking on her own blood..._

Kaoru couldn't breathe as pain grasped her heart. "She died in my arms," she cried out, pressing her palms against her eyes. "She was only fourteen."

Kenshin's arms tightened around her as she ran his hand up and down her back. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I couldn't… it was too painful. It is too painful," she whispered. She didn't trust her voice.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. He didn't say anything else; what else was there to say?

They sat there in silence as Kaoru cried against him. Even as the tears came, the pain would leave her. She feared that it never would; she would have to live with this for the rest of her life. When she couldn't cry anymore, she looked up into Kenshin's eyes, sheepish. "I'm sorry for unloading all of this on you." She shouldn't have told him, she thought, but she couldn't help herself.

"I wanted to know, and I'm glad that you trusted me with that. It's horrible that she's gone." He sounded sincere in his words. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." He ran his thumb gently under her eye again, wiping away the moisture. "That's why you haven't been sleeping?"

Kaoru leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "When I close my eyes, I see her face. Not the cheerful little girl who stole everyone's hearts; the lifeless girl who didn't deserve to die. The danger was over. There was no real harm to her." Kaoru paused and took a staggering breath. "Why would someone kill a child?"

"I wish I knew…" his answer was soft. "But what happened was not your fault."

"I don't want that to happen to you," she confessed. "I don't want to turn around and see you dying in front of me."

Kenshin tensed against her. "Nothing is going to happen to me." He tried to reason.

"I want to say that, with one hundred percent certainty, you're right. I don't know if I want to take that chance." Honoka dying in her arms had put a scar in her soul, a scar that would never go away. If anything happened to Kenshin, she was afraid that it would destroy her.

Kenshin looked into her eyes. "I'm much safer with you than I am without you."

"I don't want to see you-"

"Kaoru-"

"Please…" she begged.

"I'm not going to let you go." He sighed. "I know what happened to Honoka was painful, but you need to trust yourself. What happened was not your fault."

"I don't want," she started, but paused. She couldn't chance his life.

"Nothing will happen," he told her, brushing his hand through her hair. "You told me once that you would never doubt your abilities. You are right now."

"I was fooling myself," she countered. Why was he being so damn understanding? She let a little girl get killed; for nothing.

"I trust you." He told her again. "I trust you with my life. No matter what you think you aren't capable of, I know you won't let anything happen to me." He kissed her cheek and when she didn't reply, he offered a proposition. "How about this: you keep me alive and safe… and I'll keep your heart safe. No more fears of me dying, no more comparing happened to Honoka to now."

Kaoru didn't think that more tears could fall, but at his words, more came. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled his body to hers. "It hasn't been safe for a long time," she murmured against his neck; and it hadn't. So much had happened; she couldn't bear to have it crushed anymore. She trusted him, though. If she wanted anyone to have it, it was him.

"I'll keep it safe." He smiled as she kissed his neck. "Do you trust me?" He asked again.

"Yes."

"No more secrets?" He asked and she couldn't help but tense in his arms. He sighed. "It's okay… we'll deal with it when it comes. We'll go slowly."

"So what are we then?" Kaoru held onto him tighter, not wanting to look at him when she'd asked such an embarrassing question. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

Kenshin tried to pull back, but she wouldn't let him. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her away from him. "What do you want to be?"

Kaoru scrunched up her nose, ignoring the hot feeling of her cheeks. "Let's not play games."

"I'm not playing games. I don't want to pressure you." He replied. "I want to be with you. I want this to be more than a job for you."

_It already is_, she thought to herself. "You aren't pressuring me. I want there to be an 'us'." She admitted. She was embarrassed by her forward confession. He smiled; what a change of direction their meeting today had gone. "Can we keep this a secret for right now?"

"Why?"

"I just…" She didn't want it to be everywhere or for whoever was after him to hold either of them against the other. The thought had been in the back of her mind from the beginning, but it was different now. She was doing this to protect him, but she didn't want him to accuse her of overreacting. "I just want to take it slow. Tomoe doesn't need another reason to hate my guts, either."

Kenshin laughed, sounding relieved. "I've talked to Tomoe, actually. She's doing much better now that she's been with her husband." He gave a soft smile at the thought. "I think she's gotten over the whole ordeal."

One could only hope.

"She's just lonely." Kaoru wasn't trying to make excuses for her, but she could understand it, in a weird way. "You don't think she'll believe the pregnancy rumors, do you?" If there was a chance of them getting back on a good note, Kaoru didn't want to influence that in a different direction.

"We'll be sure to tell everyone that you aren't." He reasoned.

Kaoru could only nod. Even if Tomoe didn't believe them, she didn't want to dwell on it tonight. "Do you want to stay the night… or do you have to get back?"

"I can go back tomorrow," he told her. "Though I wish I didn't have to."

"Why do you have to?" She asked without thinking. He probably still wouldn't tell her.

"I can't tell you," he sighed as she did. "I will, I promise, when I can. But right now, I can't. It's just complicated." Kaoru could only nod before she crawled off his lap and to his side. "I want to, believe me. When it's all said and done, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

Kaoru took Kenshin's hand in hers before smiling. "I trust you."

* * *

**_I don't know if this has answered more questions or made more (laughs). Don't worry, I won't leave anything out. Secret: I read every single chapter again so that I know I'm not missing anything. I don't want to leave any of your questions unanswered._**

**_Just a note: Your thoughts, if not already answered in my head, could possibly be incorporated into this story. I like your ideas and think they're brilliant. Of course, I'd give your credit for the scene (like I've mentioned before, I don't plagiarize)._**

**_Anyway, I hope you all like chapter 11. I have to go do Government homework now, but I wanted to give you all this chapter before. I might (if I have time before going to bed) start a new chapter. Love you all._**

**_-K_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_So I creep on my own story stats. I'll admit it. I'm big enough... and whether you all deny it or not, I'm sure some of you do as well. Let me just say: I am THRILLED! Usually, after I post a chapter, I don't get my first reader for about half an hour. Which, don't get me wrong, is brilliant, but... when I posted chapter 11, within the first two minutes, I had five views. Five. It may not seem like much, but... oh, how it made me smile. _**

**_Anyway, if this has created more questions for you- worry not. I will answer them all. Just ask and you will be answer. This is going fantastically, and... yes. Just.. yes. I cannot express my joy with this one. It's so... different from what I usually do, and because I stay in my safe zone, I get bored. This... this one has kept me on my feet. I hope it continues to do so. I have the utmost faith in my abilities. No, that was not to sound conceited. _**

**_Okay, I'm sure you're tired of hearing me compliment myself and my story. Onward!_ **

* * *

Kenshin had gone back in the morning, but had returned a few days later, more tired than ever. The group had reconnected after a long two weeks. Tomoe was friendly again, while Aoshi and Misao were so wrapped up in each other, Kaoru got embarrassed when watching them interact with each other. Aoshi wasn't a very phsycial person in public, but the way he looked at his wife... it was like she could feel what he was trying to subtly express to his wife.

Kenshin had acted nonchalant towards everyone. Kaoru not being an exception. She'd asked for them to be a secret, and he was doing well with her wish. A little too well. Publicly, he'd changed. He no longer had to be by her side every step of the way. Tabloids had begged the question: Were they breaking up?

Tomoe had reassured her that tabloids only wanted publicity and hardly anything that was said was even remotely near the truth. The fact that the older woman was now on her side again, made her feel a little better.

They had been headed to Niigata when Kaoru had received the call that Megumi had given birth. Sano sounded so excited. Like a little kid on Christmas. She could only congratulate them and laugh at their quick bantering. Even after childbirth, Megumi was quick to put her husband back in line. She'd given the news to Misao, who had known them both from when they were younger. Kaoru had initially introduced them all, and she had lost touch. Hearing about their good news had put a smile on her own face.

The controversy of Kaoru's pregnancy was still used in the papers, which made their situation all the more news. A baby on the way and she was this close to being dumped. They really had no lives, if that's the best they could come up with. There hadn't been a problem with the group believing her though, which she counted as a blessing. She didn't need that hassle.

This part of the tour had kept her on her toes. Every stop they had, the man was there, trying to make a move. Kaoru would fend him off, though it didn't seem like it would take much. They would scuffle, but in the end, once she'd gotten a few hits in, he would turn tail and run. She couldn't figure it out. There were times when he could have wiped the floor with her, and he chose to run?

After every performance, Kenshin would make sure she was okay before going and greeting the fans who had been given the privilege. She would stay away from him, but her eyes were always open. She didn't want anything to happen to him. He trusted her with his life, and she wanted to make sure that that trust wouldn't be in vain. She could do this. She had to.

When they went to their hotel rooms at the end of the day, they were always together. As they lay in bed together, his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him, she never questioned him about his behavior in public. Just the same, he never asked her about the attacks. He never even inquired an interest. She'd wondered why. She wanted to, but she couldn't. She was a coward when it came to her heart. When Kenshin finally fell asleep, it was like sleeping with a friend. There was no intimacy. She didn't know what was wrong.

Their next stop was Hokkaido. She was ready to face her past, but at the same time, she wasn't. She... she was frightened, and she was scared, with the way Kenshin had been acting, that she would have to face this alone. They left the jet and were immediately led to a private car, as they would be driven into town and straight to their hotel.

"How long are we here for?" Kaoru asked, looking out the window. Things hadn't changed, though she had wished that they had. She didn't want the reminder.

"Three days." Tomoe responded as her eyes scanned over a book she had been reading. "The concert isn't until the day after tomorrow." She continued.

Kaoru took her eyes away from the window. "Why are we here so early?"

"It was convenient." Aoshi answered this time. "It gives the team a feel for the place."

"You've never been here before?" Her eyes widened when she found out that they hadn't... not for a concert at least. "Oh..."

The rest of the ride was silent as they made their way through town. Quickly checking into their rooms and then went to explore. They were reserved in public. When people saw them, they asked for pictures. Some even asked Kaoru if the rumors were true. She lightly let them down with a shake of her head and a smile, though she really didn't feel it.

The rest of the day was repetitive and by the time they returned to their rooms, Kaoru quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Kaoru couldn't hold it back anymore. She was tired of this... rejection, or whatever it was. "Is something bothering you?" She asked as she lay in his arms.

"No." He didn't try to expand his answer, and Kaoru sighed.

"Are you-"

"Kaoru, I don't want to talk about it." He cut her off.

"Fine." She sighed before getting up. He slowly followed, but no words were uttered. As they left the room and went to have breakfast with their freinds, Kaoru excused herself.

"Wait, we have to talk about the concert!" Tomoe had tried to stop her, but Kaoru couldn't stay cooped up in this place. She was back and she needed to take care of some things.

"Sorry, but I have something to do. I'll be back in a little bit." She rushed out and into the busy streets. In the middle of the day, Hokkaido was much more crowded than she remembered. She walked down the pavement. She breathed in the air, and thought about the last time she was here. This was it... she was facing her fear. Just by being back, it gave her courage. She couldn't believe it. She would always have some sort of fear, because the past couldn't be erased, but it wouldn't control her life.

She walked by buildings, getting further and further away from their hotel. _You're doing great, Kaoru, _she thought, when suddenly, she was pulled into a dark alley. She struggled as a hand slammed over her mouth. She was tempted to bite it until she looked into the eyes of her attacker. Her body trembled in fear as she felt the blood drain from her face. _Oh God... _

"You!" The person sneered in her face.

This was the man. Though, she'd never been able to put a name with the face; now she could... and it terrified her. It made her want to give up her fight. She couldn't defeat this man... she hadn't been able to do it then and she couldn't do it now.

"You're the woman with Himura." He breathed in her face and she tried not to flinch back. "I never thought I'd run into you again." The grin her gave her was disgustingly evil. "We're going to have fun now. I hope you're prepared to lay your life down. Though it'll be in vain. You'll never win." He pushed her against the wall as he stepped away from her. "Have a nice day." He left the alley and left her there as she collapsed to the ground.

"Oh God..." she whispered to herself. She felt the top of the back of her head. _No blood, _she thought, _good._ Her head was killing her though. She slowly lumbered to her feet before wrapping her arms around herself. Her head was spinning, but she had to get back. She had to warn them... she knew who it was, though she never thought she'd run into him again.

Kaoru walked back slowly, lightly stumbling along the way. Every so often someone would throw her a strange look, but no one approached her. She sighed, but stopped short as she saw everyone standing beside a car as they talked to an elderly man. Once she got closer, she heard that they were talking about homes being broken into. While it wasn't completely unheard of, it was on the rise, and he was disappointed with today's generation.

_No!_ She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before. Hokkaido. It was where Yahiko was. He would always be safe here, because she never thought she would be back. No one could ever connect them together. Now that he knew her, he could find Yahiko. Her blood ran cold at the thought. She couldn't lose him.

She tried to walk around the group but Misao spotted her. "Kaoru! There you!" She walked over to her and touched the back of her head, but Kaoru pulled away.

"Headache," she gritted. "Sorry, but I have something to do."

"You said that hours ago." Tomoe huffed; at Kaoru's pained expression, she gave her a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." She tried to brush off their inspection, but they wouldn't have it.

Aoshi and Kenshin joined the two a minute later, and Tomoe opened her mouth to speak, until a a warning siren went off. A bomb warning.

Kaoru pushed away from the group and pulled her phone out. Hitting a button, she pressed it up to her ear. She breathed a sigh of relief as Yahiko answered on the first ring. "Out. Now." She held her head in her palm as he answered. "Pack it up. I want you out of there now. _He_ is here... and he knows who I am. I need you with me. So get your ass moving!" She didn't wait for his reply; she hung up and headed in his direction.

"Kaoru!" Misao tried to grab her arm but she pulled away.

"Don't," her voice was shaky. She was having a hard time staying on her feet, "don't try to stop me. Please." She kept moving forward.

"Kaoru," this time it was Kenshin, "you need to stop moving. You're bleeding."

That gave her pause as she felt the back of neck. Kaoru felt the cut, but it wasn't enough to make her give up. She wasn't going to make it much longer; she could feel it. She erased her thoughts as she burst into a run. Misao tried to chase her, but she heard Aoshi pull her back.

Kaoru slid over the hood of a car before hitting the ground running again. She tried to go another block but the top of a building, Yahiko's building, spontaneously exploded. "No!" She screamed out. There hadn't been much time. "Please be out. Please be out." She whispered to herself. She called, but his phone went straight to voicemail.

Kenshin and Tomoe were at her side seconds later, catching her as she fell.

She landed on her knees as raw agony struck her heart. "Yahiko!" She cried out.

"Yeah?" A voice asked from behind her.

She turned her head and tears fell down her cheeks as relief swept over her. She turned and held out her arms.

Yahiko was on his knees in front of her in a second. He pulled her against him as she wept on his shoulder. "Did I scare you?" He asked, a small smile placed on his face.

"Yes." She sobbed. "Don't do it again."

He grinned. "I wasn't planning on there to be a first time." He let her cry until she pulled back. He got to his feet as helped her up as well before handing her off to Kenshin. "So, you're Himura." He didn't even look at the others around them.

"Yes..." He sounded so uncertain. "And you're the younger brother?"

He smiled at Kaoru, who was tucked into Kenshin's side. "Yeah, pretty much."

"How does being a boyfriend feel?" He asked, trying to get a feel for the man.

"It feels okay, I guess. Every one has it's ups and downs." He shrugged.

"From what I hear it's been mostly downs since you became official." He replied before Kaoru sputtered.

"Do you mind?" She asked, her attitude suddenly flaring to life.

"Not at all." Yahiko grinned like a mischievous cat.

Kaoru opened her mouth, but Kenshin beat her to words. "Give us a minute." He looked at them. "I'll give her back to you after we talk."

He started to walk off with her, but Yahiko pulled him to a stop before taking her and giving her to Misao. "Let me talk to you first."

As they walked off, Kaoru scowled. "I'm not a piece of baggage."

Misao laughed before watching the two guys. "I'm sure their talk will be interesting." Her eyes slid to Yahiko. "He's grown so much."

Kaoru gave a weak smile. "I know."

"Have you told Kenshin?" She asked suddenly. "You know... about before you met Yahiko..."

Kaoru's eyes dimmed. "No... I've wanted to, but... we haven't been on good terms for the past few weeks."

"We've been on the go for almost a month and a half... how much time do you need?"

"I guess I've had enough time." She sighed. "I'll tell him tonight." If he would even talk to her...

* * *

**_SUCH A CHANGE FROM LAST CHAPTER! I know, I know... but, there's a reason for everything I write, so no worries, my lovelies. All will be revealed in good time. Do you think this chapter was too quick? Somehow I felt it was, but I didn't want to drag it out ridiculously. We still don't know who He is but worry not... you will soon find out. Next chapter I think. _**

**_I'm not going to lie, Kenshin was such a dick in this chapter. I almost didn't like him. Gah. Guys are complicated... not to say that girls aren't, but I'm making a point._**

**_Anyway, tell me what you think. (Smiles)_**

**_-K_**


	13. Chapter 13

**_The last chapter probably wasn't the best, I realize. If you did actually like it, I love you. Really. (Smiles) I want this chapter to be like... extraordinary. So we'll see what I can do for you all. _**

**_I hope you're all enjoying Keeping You Safe so far._ **

* * *

When they had returned to the hotel, Kenshin had tried to have Kaoru stay with Yahiko for the night, but they had all argued, saying that it was for the best that she stay with him. He had wanted a night to himself, but after what seemed like hours of arguing he had finally given up.

They had fought earlier, so she didn't blame him for not wanting her around. As panic and chaos tore through a neighborhood, Kenshin had pulled Kaoru to the side, confronting her about telling Yahiko that they were a legitimate couple. She had defended herself. She didn't like to be attacked, physically or verbally. They all forgot about her physical state as they broke up their fight, which had gotten way out of hand.

They sat in their room, not saying anything to each other. Kaoru wanted to apologize, but she didn't want to say anything in case he reacted badly. She sighed as he lay on the bed, trying to find something, anything to do besides look at her. "If you want me to leave for a few hours, I can."

"You're supposed to be protecting me. I've already had my ass handed to me once today by Tomoe. I don't need it to happen again because you left."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "It's not like I would be leaving the hotel."

"Yeah? Where would you go?" He at least tried to sound interested.

"I'd go sit out in the hallway." She replied nonchalantly.

It was Kenshin's turn to sigh. "I don't want you to sit out in the hallway, Kaoru."

"Would you rather I left the floor?" She asked without thinking. She immediately wanted to take it back, but she couldn't.

Kenshin glared at her. "You know what, you're right. I'd rather you just leave the hotel."

She stood up, not having to be told twice. "You're an asshole." She said, as she felt her nose burn. She turned towards the door so that he couldn't see the tears, that no doubt were forming. She opened the door and slammed it shut. She should leave the hotel, but she couldn't. No matter how mad she was at him, she still cared about him and she wanted to make sure he was safe. This constant fight they were having was killing her. She never knew it was so hard to stay mad at one person.

Kaoru sat there for hours, silently thinking to herself before she finally calmed herself down. Tears had come and gone. She'd never been such an emotional person before; she had no idea what was wrong with her.

When she walked in, Kenshin was still on the bed. He had the television on, and as she walked further into the room, she looked to see what he was watching. Her eyes widened as a character chased after a woman down the hallway. Kaoru's eyes stared at the screen as he finally caught her and drove a knife straight into her back. The woman cried out in pain as Kaoru backed into the wall.

Flashbacks of a painful past filled her entire being. Shaking, she saw images she'd long since buried into her mind. "Turn it off." She whispered, but her voice hadn't reached him. She slumped against the wall, as her palms covered her eyes, though the screams of the characters still reached her ears. "Please," she said louder, "turn it off."

The noise was instantly gone and moments later, she felt Kenshin's arm around her shoulder.

"Kaoru," he breathed, "what's wrong?"

She had told Misao that she'd tell Kenshin about her past tonight, but she couldn't. Not yet. What she'd told him about Honoka and what she had to tell him about her past were two different things. There was no way he would be so understanding. "I'm sorry," she threw her arms around his neck, her eyes still slammed shut, "I'm so, so sorry."

"For what?" He asked, his arms gently slipping around her waist.

"For everything." She whispered. "Everything that I've done to make you mad, I'm sorry." She bit her lip, keeping herself from saying more.

She heard him sigh. "No," he said, pulling her back, "I'm the one who needs to apologize."

She gave him a confused stare.

"I've been on edge since I came back from my... trip. I kept you at arms length because I thought that's what you would have wanted. You didn't want anyone to know about us- the real us- and I didn't want to come off too strong." He paused as cupped her cheek in his palm. "The more I kept myself emotionally away from you, the more frustrated I became."

"But last night and today-"

"Today I acted like an asshole. You were right, and I had no right to say those things to you or treat you the way I did. It's a piss poor excuse and I'm mad as hell that I let my get that." He looked into her eyes. "As far as last night goes... I was still an asshole."

"Why were you on edge?" She paused. "Nevermind. You can't tell me."

Kenshin shook his head. "No, it's getting out of hand." He pulled her from the floor and led her to the bed. He leaned against the headboard and pulled her to lay beside him. "I can't tell you why I was there, ever. I don't like that I have to say that to you, but that's how it is. I was in Kyoto. My uncle is a powerful man, Kaoru. He doesn't ask much of me, but when he does, I do what he says because I respect him... and I know that he could make my life a living hell."

"Can I ask a question?" She looked up at him. He nodded. "Were you with someone there?"

She was insecure, especially because they had only proclaimed themselves to each other after he'd returned... due to media interference.

He gave a short, relieved chuckle. "No, I was and only am interested in you."

"Okay." She sighed. "I told you already. I trust you." She paused before continuing. "Thank you for telling me... but now I have something to tell you."

"The way you said it, I feel like I should be scared." He pulled her tighter against him and she smiled at the warmth he gave her.

"I just... I don't want you to look at me differently."

"Okay, tell me."

Kaoru took a deep breath. "I... I'm sure you've noticed the scars on my back..." She started out, pausing to let him reply.

"Yeah," he nodded, "I never asked because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

She smiled at the unexpected answer. He really had considerate moments. "Thank you. I actually received them when I was seventeen." She watched his reactions carefully. _Surprise._ "I went to a school on the other side of Tokyo. I lived with a family friend. I was challenged enough at the school near my family so they thought I should go somewhere else. It was Christmas so I got to go home. I actually had a family once." She admitted. "I had a mother and father... siblings." _Concern._ "We were all there, my older sister, and my younger twins brother and sister. We were sitting around the table when someone was at the front door." She shook her head, trying to keep her eyes open. She didn't want to relive the images. "We were expecting my older sister's boyfriend. She was finally going to introduce us. She went to open the door and screamed. My father was the first one out of his seat." _Worry._ "My mother took us to the back so that we would be isolated in a room. Whoever it was wouldn't be able to get to us at any angle. My father's yell for us to leave was terrifying. My mother left soon after. I was a seventeen year old who had to keep my ten your old brother and sister safe." The memory was too much for her. Her senses couldn't seem to accept what her mind was telling her. No tears came to her eyes as she recounted the event. She felt numb. "He came barreling around the corner with a crazy look in his eyes. His face, arms and hands were covered in blood. I stood in front of my siblings as he lunged forward."

Kaoru traced her hand over the scar on her side. "I turned and he cut into me. I cried out in pain, but it was enough of a distraction for the ten year olds to run." _Anger._ "I found some strength and pushed against him. He stumbled back as I ran. I followed them quickly as we made our way up the stairs." She shook her head. "I don't know how it happened. He was there behind us, wildly waving his knife around in the air. His long stride kept him right behind us the entire time. He sliced into my skin so many times that I lost count." She felt ashamed at the memory. "I lost a lot of blood and stumbled. He stepped over me as I hit the floor and followed my little brother and sister. I heard them scream in terror and then everything was silent. He came back to me and I looked up into his eyes. He was... gone. Whatever sanity someone holds onto, it wasn't there. None of it. He wanted to bring the blade down against my back, but the cries of my family had forced someone to call the police. As soon as he heard their sirens, he ran." She shook in his arms. "I woke up a week later and I was told that no one in my family had survived. I couldn't save them."

Kenshin stroked her hair. "When you told me you wanted to quit because you didn't want to chance my life, you weren't just talking about Honoka, were you?"

"I've lost almost everyone I love... I don't want to lose you." She admitted as she lowered her eyes. She'd just told Kenshin, the man who she had been fighting with for the last month and a half, that she loved him. She hoped that she wasn't moving to fast, but her hidden feelings were killing her. She had to let him know.

"It's okay. I'm okay. He's not here."

He hadn't said anything about her feelings, and she was okay with that. "He is." She whispered. "I didn't know it until today. The one who's been waiting for you. It's him." She watched his eyes widened at the news. "I wanted to tell you... I just didn't know how."

He was angry, not at her, but the fact that she had kept this from him didn't exactly help. "Do you know his name?"

"Yeah." She took an unsteady breath. "Enishi Yukishiro."

Kenshin sat straight up in bed before the someone knocked on the door. He put his fingers to Kaoru's lips when she tried to speak. "Who is it?"

"Yahiko."

Kenshin left her side and opened the door to let him in. As soon as the door closed, he had Kaoru back in his arms.

Yahiko eyed them. "I'm glad to see that you two are okay again, but we have a problem."

"What?" Kaoru asked as Yahiko eyed Kenshin warily. "Don't worry, I told him."

"Enishi... he's-"

"He's Tomoe's younger brother." Kenshin finished for him.

Kaoru's eyes widened at the news before she made a frustrated noise. "This can't ever be easy, can it?"

"It's not nearly as worth it if it is." Yahiko said in sympathy. "I just wanted you to know..."

"Does Tomoe know?" Kaoru asked.

"No, she hasn't seen her brother since a month after I debuted. That's what she's told me anyway." Kaoru gave a small nod.

Yahiko looked between the two of them. "You two are really okay? This isn't an act?"

"We're getting back to where we were." Kenshin replied.

"Good, because I'm tired of hearing Kaoru cry." He gave her a small smile before he left.

Kenshin sighed as he leaned over her. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's not entirely your fault." She admitted.

"Just the same, I'm sorry." He pressed his lips to hers before murmuring. "By the way, I love you, too."

That night was the first night they had been together in what felt like forever. It was so different from anything they had every experienced, even with each other. His kisses were gentle against her body, almost as if he were afraid to hurt her. Her hands ran over his firm muscles as he explored her body slowly, almost painfully. He couldn't get enough of her, and he worshiped her body with his words as they rocked against each other. He had taken her to new heights, and no coherent words would form against her lips, not that Kenshin minded. Everything he needed to know, she made through sounds of passion. Together, they lasted until the early morning.

As they lay wrapped in each other's arms, Kaoru whispered against his chest. "I have no more secrets. You know all about the dark side of my life and you're still here." She almost sounded incredulous.

"I hate that it happened to you, but I'm not going anywhere. I love you." He murmured against her hair.

* * *

**_Okay, whoever voted Enishi as the freaky weirdo... YOU WERE RIGHT! Three cheers for you. _**

**_So I liked this chapter so much better, and I hope you did too. I love makeups. Makeup sex is so cliche, and I know that, but I hope you can forgive me. It just... had to happen. I felt like something was missing when I had this done the first time (yes, I wrote and edited scenes in and out within two hours). Not too much of a hassle. Okay, that sounded conceited, but I was pointing out that their make up scene was missing. Forgive me for my conceited words. _**

**_Three chapters in one night. I love you all for keeping up this far. Thoughts?_**

**_-K_**


	14. Chapter 14

**_I don't really have much to say here, except that I'm so happy. So. So. Happy. Which is great, considering it's a Monday. I have some amazing news. Next week, my classes cancelled for three days. If I haven't finished by then, I'll definitely be able to finish next week! (Smiles)_**

**_So, without making you wait any longer, here's chapter 14 of Keeping You Safe._**

* * *

When everyone awoke and had eaten breakfast, they made their way to the concert hall. Even with the chaos yesterday, after finding it to be an isolated incident, the concert was allowed to continue- with maximum security. Of course, they hadn't refused. Sitting in the car, Kenshin had Kaoru's hand in his as he soothingly ran his thumb against her skin.

"So you two have settled your differences?" Tomoe asked curiously, eyeing their hands before looking at their faces.

Kaoru nodded as Kenshin replied. "Yeah, we're fine."

"Is this still just for publicity?" Misao piped in, curious as well. Aoshi flicked her in the ear.

"Don't be rude." He said and everyone gave a small chuckle.

"No, this isn't for publicity," Kenshin gave the girl a soft smile. He sighed and looked at Kaoru, who was staring out the window.

As they had dressed this morning, they discussed who would be the one to talk to Tomoe. Kaoru said that she wanted to. It would be easier that way; that if Tomoe acted badly, she would get the brunt of it. Kenshin didn't have to be a part of this at all. He, naturally, had refused. She wanted to keep him safe, even from something as small as this, and he could appreciate that, but he wouldn't let her do this alone.

"Tomoe," she whispered into the silence as they pulled up to the building, "can I talk with you privately?"

Everyone looked at her, surprised. "Um, sure." She replied as the door opened, signally for them to exit the vehicle. They walked inside until they all split up.

"Yahiko," her voice was quiet, "go with Kenshin."

"But-"

"Please," she gave a heavy sigh, "don't argue with me. Just this once." He nodded and asked Kenshin to lead the way, as Misao and Aoshi quietly followed.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Tomoe asked, leaning against the door they had just walked through.

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to say... I wish I didn't have to, but... the person trying to kill Kenshin..." she looked into the eyes of the woman across from her as she tried to mask her pain. "It's your brother."

Tomoe took it with a grain of salt. "My brother?" She gave a sarcastic laugh. "My brother wouldn't do something like this." She reasoned.

"When was the last time you've talked to him?"

"Why is it-"

"Tomoe. When?"

Tomoe's gaze dropped to the floor. "It's been years. I've been so caught up with Kenshin's career and my marriage that I haven't had time to go hunting him down." Her gaze met Kaoru's, "but I know my baby brother. He wouldn't do something like this."

Kaoru held her gaze. "Did he ever tell you about a woman named Mayune?"

Tomoe's eyes widened. "Once... he said that she made him happy. They were doing so well that he was going to meet her family over the holiday. He couldn't wait..." She scowled. "Why?" Her voice raised a little. "How do you know about her?"

"Keep your voice down." Kaoru replied. "I-"

"Don't tell me to keep my voice down!" She screamed as she pushed off the door and stood in front of Kaoru. "You're accusing my brother of something that he couldn't possibly do! How do you think that makes me feel?" She gave a little shove.

Kaoru stumbled back, but stood her ground. "Why are you being so blind?" She screamed back. "You haven't spoken to him in years! You've just admitted it yourself, how the hell do you know what he is and isn't capable of?!"

Tomoe slapped her.

Kaoru's head whipped to the side as she glared at the ground. "You don't get it." Her voice was harsh.

"What don't I get?"

"Mayune died, Tomoe." They both looked to the entrance of the doorway where Yahiko stood. "Five years ago, the night your brother showed up at her house... he butchered her, and her family."

"No!" She yelled.

"I hate that it's true, but it is." Kaoru stepped closer to her. "Mayune was my older sister. She was so excited to introduce us... and she was the first one he killed."

"It's your word against his." Tomoe shook her head in denial. "You could be making this whole thing up." Her eyes narrowed as Kenshin came to Kaoru and wrapped his arms around her, comfortingly. "Don't encourage her lies." She sneered.

"She's not lying, Tomoe." Misao said from the doorway.

Kaoru felt bad for Tomoe; truly. She'd wanted to talk to her in private so that the other woman wouldn't feel like they were all ganging up on her; taking sides.

"And how would you know?"

"Because Kaoru and I have known each other for a long time. We grew up together, remember? I was there, with her in the hospital when she woke up, while she healed. Every hardship she'd been through with that, I was there. You can't fake that." Misao looked at Kaoru. "She found Yahiko the year she graduated and took him in. He looked up her past, and it's all there... if you want to see it."

"Is he reported in it?"

"His first name is," Kaoru replied from the shelter of Kenshin's arms. "I didn't know his last name. I hadn't talked to my sister for awhile, so I only knew the basics. A sketch of him is with the report, though." Her heart dropped further and further with every blow Tomoe received. She hated that she had to do this to her.

"Fine," she sighed, "let's say that he is the man... why would he be after Kenshin?" She looked around at the people she had called friends. "If he's after you, what's the point of these attempts?"

"I wish I knew." She whispered before her eyes hardened with determination. She lifted her head up and gave Tomoe an unwavering look. "But I intend to find out."

* * *

They had all been silent after that; only speaking when it was necessary. Kenshin was in a separate room with everyone as Kaoru sat by herself, mentally preparing herself for tonight. Enishi was here, and now that he knew who she was, he would relish the fight even more. He wouldn't back down. This would complete what he started five years ago... but she wouldn't give up. Kaoru would fight until her very last breath.

She would do it for her family, for their friends, and for Kenshin. She never wanted Enishi to be able to hurt another person for as long as he lived. She was worried, deep down, though. He was so physically imposing. He could take her down with a single strike and she knew it. Kaoru shook her head, clearing up all of the negative thoughts. That's what would make her lose; doubt.

A knock at the door made her turn in her seat. Kenshin stood there, a light frown on his lips. "Am I interrupting?"

"No," she replied as she turned back around, "I'm just trying to prepare myself."

She heard him walk towards her. He knelt beside her and took her shaking hands into his. "You can do this. You know that, right?"

"Is it wrong to say that I'm scared?" She looked into his eyes, trying to find peace.

"Not at all. I think you would be foolish if you didn't fear this. It's doing what you do in spite of the fear that makes you brave. If and when the time comes, you'll do what you have to, because you know it's right... and when it's over, I'll be here waiting for you."

"You sound so sure that I can beat this." She bent her head till it rested against his.

"Because I know that you can." He smiled gently. "There was a time, what seems like an eternity ago, that I doubted you. But time after time, you've proven me wrong. I've known you to be strong for quite awhile, but knowing what you've been through and that you're still here, refusing to give up... you're the strongest person I have ever known."

"Thanks," she smiled, "that makes me feel a little stronger."

"If I could do this for you." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

Kaoru murmured against his lips. "This is what I do."

"I don't care. I hate that you have to do this by yourself."

"It's-"

"I know what it is." He sighed as he stood up.

She hooked his fingers around his belt loops, pulling him closer to her. "I don't want us to leave yet." She admitted. She wasn't ready to face the outside world. Kaoru wanted to just believe that it was the two of them for a little while longer.

He grabbed her arms and helped her stand up before taking her into his arms. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, as she swayed back at forth with her. "When this is over tonight, it'll just the two of us."

She wanted it to be the two of them now, but she knew that they didn't have time. There was so much to do and they were behind as it was. "Okay... let's go face the world then." She stepped out of his arms as she took his hand and led him to the door.

* * *

Kenshin's concert was a huge turn out, despite what had happened the day before. The crowd responded with great enthusiasm, that Kaoru would have smiled had she not been distracted.

She ran across the balcony as Enishi chased her. His target wasn't Kenshin tonight, she'd found out... it was her. He ran after her, with a kodachi like knife. He was closing in on her, she could feel it. His stride was so much longer than hers. She wouldn't let him win, though. She couldn't.

The space between the isle and wall was closing in fast. Kaoru couldn't run anymore; she turned on her heel and faced him. The gleam in his eye made her sick to her stomach. "Why are you doing this?"

"Do I need a reason?" He grinned evilly.

He was crazy; she knew it. "I don't care why you killed my family; it won't ever bring them back. Why are you trying to kill Kenshin?"

The grin never disappeared from his face. "He stole my sister, so it's only fair that I return the rude gesture and take away his life."

She scowled at him. "Your sister chose to help him build up his career. He didn't influence her decision at all." That probably wasn't true, but she didn't want to give him more ammunition towards her boyfriend.

"Don't defend him. He's worthless." He growled at her, taking another step forward. She took a step back and hit the wall. His sickening smile returned. "Scared little girl?"

She was; there was no denying it. "Yes, but I'm still going to beat you." Her voice was strong. _Thank you for small favors._

He laughed, but it wasn't heard of the roar of the music. "You think you can beat me? You're terrified."

"It's the fact that I'm willing to face you in spite of my fear that makes me strong." Something about her words caused her fear to recede. _I can do this. I have to do this._

His foot slid back, making him crouch down like a lion about to strike. "Let's see what you can do."

He'd disarmed her earlier, she suddenly remembered. Still, it didn't change anything. She wouldn't let him hurt any of them. It would be hard, but not impossible. He moved to strike and she darted to the left, quickly jumping over the row of seats. She ran back down to where her gun was. Even her knife would have helped her at this time, but he beat her to them.

Stepping in front her, he held out his weapon.

She froze just before colliding into it. Her eyes scanned his body, looking at his stance; he was completely vulnerable. Shoving his arm aside, she ran into his chest, knocking him off balance. He staggered back and dropped his weapon. He landed on his butt before throwing his arms to the floor and kicking his leg out. It connected with her stomach and sent her back, dropping to her knees.

She tried to get to her feet, but he was there, shoving her forward. He grabbed the knife again before straddling her hips. She tried to push up against him, but he slammed her back down to the floor, Grabbing her shirt, he tore it from her body. She didn't have to look at his face to know the satisfaction he felt as he looked at the damage he had done to her so many years ago.

He placed the tip of his weapon against her back, no doubt over a scar that was already there. The noise was so loud, but his words were the only thing that she heard. "Let's go back and visit that night, shall we?"

She felt the pressure against her skin, and just when she thought, he was going to break through the skin, a gun went off, and he grunted before quickly scrambling off of her. She looked up, humiliating tears in her eyes as she saw Misao and Yahiko. Yahiko stood in front of her, the gun in his hand. She tried to pull herself off the ground to go after him but she couldn't find her strength.

Kaoru slumped back down to the ground. Misao was by her side in a second. "Kaoru, are you hurt?"

Aside from her pride and nerves? Nothing was damaged. "I'm okay. Though I can't say the same for my shirt."

Yahiko let out a curse and Kaoru's head shot up, pinning him with a glare. "He could have seriously hurt you Kaoru."

"Sometimes people get bested. It won't happen again." She looked at Misao, "help me up, will you?"

They finally got her to her feet and helped her back to the side of the stage. Yahiko had offered her his shirt, but she'd declined. All she asked was that Misao stay at her back. She stood there with Yahiko holding her up throughout the rest of the concert. Aoshi and Tomoe had been on the other side of the stage, watching from a different angle.

The final song ended, and he walked to the side where Aoshi and Tomoe were. Kaoru gave a sigh of relief as she crumbled to her knees.

"Kaoru!" Misao cried as she reached down to catch the girl.

Kaoru placed her arm on the ground as she leaned forward, her other arm going around the front of her shirt so that it would stay in place. There was only so much dignity she could lose in one day.

She looked up and saw that Kenshin was still talking to him, and her eyes quickly connected with Tomoe's. The woman's eyes widened as she touched Kenshin's arm. Kaoru watched the scene play out quickly: he looked at Tomoe and then they all looked at Kaoru. He stepped towards her before her arm gave out.

She collapsed and her world went black.

* * *

**_Bam. Chapter fourteen. It started out a little slow to me, but quickly found it's momentum. Do you think so, too?_**

**_How do you feel about Kaoru getting her ass handed to her? Personally, I think she did well holding her own against a giant ogre of a man._**

**_How do you feel about Enishi and his outrageous reasonings, along with what he tried to put Kaoru through... again?_**

**_Let me know what you think (hearts)._**

**_-K_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**When I had originally started writing, my fight scenes sucked...a lot. I was so ashamed, but I had to have some sort of altercation. I can't have my characters turn into pansies who can't even through a punch if they need to. Though, there's nothing wrong with using words to solve things. No fighting, kiddies.**_

_**Anyway, I love my fight scenes now. They're not incredibly detailed, but just enough to get across what I want you to picture. **_

_**Guest: I'm so glad you like it! All of these chapters take some sort of turn that I was not expecting, so it was nice. I'm not sure if Tomoe is still in denial or what... so we'll see (smiles).**_

_**So here we go: **_

* * *

When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the hotel room. Alone. She slid the covers off of her as she slowly moved to sit up on the side of the bed. Her head spun as she moved, but the slower she moved, the less it affected her. As she tried to stand up, the bathroom door opened.

Kenshin stepped out and stopped as he saw her. "What are you doing?" He quickly made his way to her side.

"Getting up." She answered, as if confused.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Kaoru nodded. The concert. Enishi. Collapsing. She blushed. "How long have I been out?"

"A little less than a day." He knelt down in front of her. "How do you feel?"

"Sore." Kaoru frowned as she tried to stretch. It was quickly followed by a wince.

"You took a pretty good beating." He lightly touched her stomach and she cringed. "Try not to move around a lot." He advised.

"Thanks..." Sarcasm dripped from her appreciative word. "I can't believe I collapsed. How embarrassing." She slowly lay back down.

Kenshin stood at his full height as he walked away to find some clothes to wear. "It could have been worse," he looked over his shoulder at her, "but I'm glad it wasn't."

"You and me, both." Kaoru murmured. She lay there in the silence for a moment before his words from the previous day floated into her head. "So much for the two of us..." the words escaped her lips before she stop them. She hadn't meant to say that aloud. She heard Kenshin give a small chuckle before she turned onto her side, away from him.

The bed sagged as his weight pressed against it. "Well, it was just the two of us," he responded. "You just weren't awake to appreciate it."

She turned her head and glared at him. "Oh, that makes it so much better." _Jerk._ She shouldn't be upset, but she was. She'd had her ass kicked, Enishi ran away and she passed out before she could get to Kenshin.

"Hey," he crawled up beside her and gently placed his arm around her stomach, "it's okay."

"It's not..." She sighed.

"It's not like we don't have any other opportunity to be alone together." He placed a small kiss to the back of her neck.

"You don't know that!" She turned quickly and groaned in pain. She pushed the pain aside as she looked him in the eyes. "Something could have happened. I could have-"

"But nothing happened," he tried to reason with her. "You're safe and we're leaving as soon as we can. You'll have some time to re-cooperate."

"That's not what I'm getting at, and you know it." She tried to give him a stern look.

He sighed. "I know, but really, nothing happened."

Kaoru couldn't do this. He was acting so nonchalant about what happened, but she had been scared out of her mind when she was there. She pushed herself up and placed a hand on either side of him, before throwing a leg over him so that she could straddle his hips. He needed to understand her and if this was the only way to get his attention, she was going to.

Boldness rushed through her as she pulled her shirt over her head. She looked down and cringed at the ugliness of her stomach. It was starting to dicolour, but that wasn't why she was doing this.

"Kaoru-" He started.

"Hush," her voice was ragged, but not from the potential passion that could have been; it was from something else that he couldn't place. Kaoru leaned forward until she was laying against his chest. She took his arm in her hand before leading his hand to her back.

"You're in no condition-"

She cut him off again. "You're not listening to me, Himura." She was mad.

He sighed as he rested his hand against her skin, lightly stroking her back with his fingertips and she gave a light shiver. "What is it that you want?" His voice was gentle.

"I want you to realize how close I was to dying last night." Kaoru whispered. His eyes widened. _Good. _She had his attention. "Do you know what happened?" He shook his head. No, he wouldn't, would he? Misao and Yahiko had no idea what happened; she'd never gotten to explain. He needed to know that she was human. She wasn't invincible. She could _die. _"He shoved me down, Kenshin... he ripped my shirt. He pressed a knife to my back." Her voice was stronger than she'd expected. Given her emotions recently, she was surprised that she hadn't burst into tears. "'Let's go back and visit it that night, shall we?' That's what he said to me as he started to cut me."

Kenshin's fingers stopped moving against her back as her words sunk in. He couldn't breathe as the images of what happened slid through his mind.

"You think I'm invincible, and as much as I love you for that... I'm not. I just don't want you to think we have all the time in the world when the next time I see him, it could be my last." She hoped it wasn't. She wanted to stay with Kenshin for years to come.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as closed his eyes; his hand pressed against her skin and his fingers still un-moving. "I just don't want to think of you being in that much danger. I was trying to kid myself." His voice was weak.

Kaoru leaned forward to rest her forehead against his shoulder. "I know... I'm sorry, too." She kissed his chest. "But I want you to know, I probably would have been dead, had it not been for you." It was true.

"It's a nice thought, but-"

She leaned up, and placed her lips over his, ultimately silencing him. "I'm serious." She murmured against his lips. "Your words echoed in my head and they gave me the strength to stand my ground." When he didn't say anything, she gave him a worried look. "Are you okay?"

Kenshin opened his mouth, but there was, yet again, a knock at the door. Why was someone always wanting to interrupt them? "Yeah?" He called.

"It's me, I wanted to see how Kaoru was doing?" Misao's voice came from the other side.

"Yahiko there too?" He asked. He laughed when he got an affirmative reply. He sighed as he sat up. Handing Kaoru her shirt, he eased her off of him. "I'm fine," he replied before sliding off the bed and making his way to the door. He looked back to make sure Kaoru was decent before he opened the door.

* * *

As they sat on the jet, Kaoru was curled up against the window. She was still sore, and after two days of staying in bed, she was finally happy to be up and about... and out of Hokkaido. Yahiko, now that they all knew of his existence, was accompanying them. He would stay with her from now on. Not that she mind; she enjoyed the company... and he really had her back when she had needed it most.

"I don't think Kaoru should be security at the next concert." Tomoe said, pulling everyone out of their own thoughts.

Kaoru turned her head to look at the other woman. "Why?" Was Tomoe trying to protect her brother?

"You're hurt, Kaoru." She gave the girl a sympathetic look. "What good are you really going to be if you're not at your best?"

"She's had worse." Yahiko said without much thought.

"Is this about Enishi?" Kenshin asked.

"No, it's-"

"Tomoe, you know that-"

"Guys, leave her alone." Kaoru placed her head against the side of the jet again. "Look, I know this is hard for you to accept. I don't know what I would do if I heard my brother was capable of something like that. I might even deny it; claiming that I know my sibling well enough to know that that could never happen." She slid her eyes over to the older woman. "But you have to let me do this. I don't want to hurt him, believe me. I don't care what he's done in the past; because nothing will change... but I can't let him succeed in this."

"He's not like this Kaoru. I'm sorry, but I can't believe you." Tomoe looked at them all. "I'm sorry." She stood up and walked to a different seat.

Kaoru was quiet for a long time, ignoring all of them. She finally sighed before she stood up, slowly, and made her way to Tomoe. "What can I tell you to make you believe me?"

"Nothing." She replied, the sad look on her face unmistakable.

"What if I told you why he's doing this?" She asked, slowly lowering herself to Tomoe's side. They all turned to her, curious as to what she would say.

"Do you really know?"

Kaoru nodded. "I have to admit, I was curious as well. All I can tell you is what he told me. I can't promise it's the truth, but every word I say is what he told me." Tomoe gave a reluctant nod. "According to Enishi, Kenshin stole you away from him." Tomoe's eyes widened; she couldn't blame her. She had given the same reaction. "That's all there is to it. He felt abandoned and mistook your role in Kenshin's life. He couldn't fathom what you would see in him, so this is some sort of sick revenge that doesn't even make sense."

"Is that all he told you?"

Kaoru gave her a sad smile. "Unfortunately... this wasn't a social call. If he wasn't trying to kill me, I would have been in the position to ask more questions."

Tomoe didn't want to believe her, but she knew she should. Enishi had always been clingy, practically needy for Tomoe's affections. She would try to dote on him seeing as he was her baby brother... but after her career with Kenshin took off, she had less and less time for him. Soon, she married Akira and Enishi disappeared. Tomoe had never thought to go and look for him.

"I'm sorry. I know it's hard to take in all at once." Kaoru placed her hand on Tomoe's shoulder, in a comforting manner before she stood up and made her way towards her seat beside Kenshin.

She slowly sat down beside him, holding onto her throbbing stomach. "Are you okay?" He asked, taking her hand in his.

"Just a little sore." She cringed through a smile.

Kenshin sighed. She was trying to be strong. "Get some rest," he kissed her cheek, "we're going to be awhile."

"Okay." She wasn't going to argue with that. She was exhausted. Closing her eyes, she drifted into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Kaoru was put on standby for the remaining concerts. She was still in poor condition to fight. _If _Enishi showed up, she would be informed and they would all hope that she choose the right decision as to how to handle the situation. She was slow to get up and down, and any unexpected movements or twisting caused her pain, but she pushed through it. She wouldn't let pain rule her life.

Kenshin was there with her every step of the way. He treated her like a porcelain doll, and while sometimes it was nice, she was getting tired of it. He refused to let her do even the most simple of tasks. He was treating her like an invalid. He stood outside the bathroom as she took a shower. "I'm lucky I get this much privacy," she called out, childishly, on the night before his last concert.

"I'm just making sure that you're okay." He shrugged off her complaint.

"I'm not going to break." She yelled back from the shower.

"Don't be a brat." He replied. His temper was flaring, as was hers. He was trying to watch out for her and all she was doing was bitching.

The water turned off and she stomped out of the bathroom, still completely wet. Her hands were on her hips as her hair was stuck her to her back. "I'm fine!" She shouted in irritation. "I'm hurt. So fucking what?! God, are you going to treat me like an invalid for the rest of my life?"

His eyes darkened and had she been any less mad, she might have stepped away from him. She'd seen him mad before nothing like this. He grabbed her and pushed her against the wall.

He didn't care that she was soaked from her shower, he shoved his body roughly over hers. She pushed against him in irritation. There was no fear in her eyes. Kenshin grabbed her wrist and held them with one hand. Her eyes widened as his other hand slid in between their bodies.

"Let go of me, Kenshin." She started to fight back until he pressed against her still slightly sore stomach. He was never going to let that go. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been, but she still wasn't completely healed from the damage that Enishi had inflicted on her.

Kenshin immediately released her, though his dark gaze was still there. "You're still hurt."

"Of course I am." She gave a sigh. "I'm not going to be hurt one day and miraculously heal a few days later. It takes time, Kenshin... but I've had a lot worse. I know what my limitations are."

"I don't want anything to happen to you." When he spoke his true, sincere words to him, his voice was usually so small. Soft. But these words were straightforward. He was vulnerable to her.

"Stop being so hard on my stomach and nothing will." She replied. His eyes widened at her words before they narrowed again. "Stop glaring at me." She pushed up a little. "I promise. I'm fine. I promise to take it easy at the concert if you stop treating me like I'm going to fall to pieces at any minute."

He turned away from her and went to sit on the bed.

His sudden reverse in direction caught her off guard. She quickly followed him. "Kenshin..."

Kenshin grabbed her waist gently and pulled her onto his lap. She straddled him as he rested his forehead against his shoulder; his eyes closed. "Don't ever disappear. Don't ever leave. I don't ever want to lose you."

His words warmed her to her very soul. "I promise, as long as I can help it, you won't ever lose me." When he lifted his head to look into her eyes, she leaned forward as pressed her lips against his as she pulled him closer.

* * *

_I was tempted to put some sex scene in here, but I thought that would be ill timed considering that would be some rough weirdness. I've gotten better at writing this sort of genre, but dominance is not something I can do. I'm sorry for all of you sub/dom lovers out there. I just... can't. **It really would be out of place though. **_

_**So there you go, chapter fifteen. **_

_**What are your questions for this one?**_

_**-K**_


	16. Chapter 16

**_I know I've been pretty good with quick updates and I know it's been a few days. I am so sorry for that. I haven't been feeling well all week, so most of my afternoons after school (since that's usually when I write) have been filled with glorious naps. I guess it doesn't help that I stay up until two in the morning texting. Oops. Life of a young adult. (Laughs) Anyway, I was going to try to write last night, since it was the day I was feeling better and lo and behold... my internet stopped working. But, but, but... it wasn't just mine. Everyone in my area, within a mile radius, were without internet access as well. Not that that makes me feel better or anything. But it's working now, so I can't complain. _**

**_I'd like to give a great big thank you to everyone who has supported me through this story with your great words of encouragement. I know I say that a lot, but I really mean it. I probably wouldn't be as half as dedicated to it as I am if people didn't like it. I mean, I like it, but that seems a bias and it doesn't mean that much since I _****_AM_****_ writing this for all of you. (heart)_**

**Without further delay- chapter 16**

* * *

Kaoru stood in the back of the auditorium- the last concert of his tour. She wasn't alone though. Aoshi was on one side of her, while another man she'd never met was on the other. "Guys..." she sighed. She didn't need a babysitter, let alone two.

"Don't even start complaining." Aoshi said as his gaze remained forward. "We don't need a repeat of Hokkaido."

"If you're going to look over me like a mother hen, how am I doing my job?" This was ridiculous. She thought she and Kenshin had come to an understanding. _Apparently not._ Asshole. He seemed to want to protect her, but he had kept his distance since they had landed.

"Keep your eyes open," the unknown man replied. "We'll do the rest."

She sighed and stood there, her eyes scanning every shadow; every sudden movement made her jumpy. "I don't see anything." She whispered as one of his numbers ended. "This is bull; he should be here."

Aoshi glanced her way. "You said Yahiko fired a gun. He might have been hit."

Kaoru looked at him as his eyes flickered back to the stage, or rather the side of it. Misao. "You know, if you're worried about her, you can go to her."

"That's not my job."

"What matters to you more: your wife or your job?" She could manage with this, and nothing was happening.

"Don't try to change my mind."

"All you'll do is piss him off," the other man whispered into her ear.

"And I was beginning to wonder how him and Kenshin were friends." She whispered, earning a soft laugh.

The concert was almost over and still no sign of Enishi. "Do we really need to be standing up here? Do you really think he'd show now that it's almost done? If I were him, I would have taken my shot by now." he scanned the upper balcony of the auditorium.

That's when Kaoru saw it. "Shit!" She rushed passed Aoshi, who was quickly on her tail.

"What is it?" He yelled as he met her stride for stride.

"He's in the audience; that's why we didn't see him." She flew down the stairs at a speed she didn't know she possessed. She heard Aoshi speak into his headset as he raced beside her.

She looked into the audience and saw him there, his weapon discretely hiding beneath his light jacket. She looked at Aoshi, "get Misao." She tried to step onto the stage, only to Aoshi grabbed her back.

"This is the last part of his encore song." He let her go, "give him a few seconds."

"A few seconds is all he needs. Don't you get that?" She glared up at the huge man.

He didn't answer as the last note rang out. "Go out now." He gave her a little shove.

She stumbled, looked back to glare and gestured for everyone to leave the stage; to get out of the line of fire. She quickly grabbed Kenshin's hand and gave a slight tug.

He laughed, though it sounded fake to her ears, before thanking his fans and took a step towards the side of the stage.

Kaoru, looking into the crowd, grabbed Kenshin and pulled him down to the ground as a gun went off. Fans started screaming and scattering, trying to get away from the unexpected danger. Kaoru shielded his body with hers, pushing his towards the side. He quickly crawled, Kaoru staying in front of him as her weapon was out, ready to return fire as soon as she got a clear shot.

She didn't want to kill him; she never had, not for a few years anyway... but when it came to Kenshin to Enishi, she would mount Enishi's head on her wall before she let anything to happen to the man she'd come to care so much about.

When Kaoru saw that he had disappeared into the crowd, she scurried to the side, immediately being pulled up and into Kenshin's arms. "Are you okay?" She heard him ask.

"Fine, how are you?" She looked into his eyes. She couldn't figure out the emotion he was feeling. He didn't look afraid, even though he should be.

He glared down at her. "I'm mad as hell."

Kaoru nodded. She could understand that. His innocent fans had been attacked because of one clingy man child. "I'm sorry... I should have seen him sooner. It should have been so obvious."

"Don't." He stepped away from her and walked off, security surrounding him.

She stood there, stunned. He'd never just left her there before. "What the hell?" She whispered as Misao stepped to her side.

"I've never seen him so mad..." she whispered back.

Kaoru shook her head as Yahiko came to her side as well. "I don't know what's wrong with him..."

Yahiko walked in between them, holding out his arms. "Let him get over whatever it is. He needs some time to cope or whatever." He looked at the two, "shall we?"

The girls wrapped one of their hands around his upper arms as they laughed, even though Kaoru didn't feel it. She was still worried about Kenshin. He was so hot and cold, and had been for the past day. They walked behind the group as he was being escorted outside into the pouring rain. He stood there, soaking in the droplets from the sky before entering their private car. Tomoe had already entered before him, and one by one the others entered- Koaru being the last of them.

The ride was silent except for the rain, which pounded against the windows. Throughout the ride, Kaoru threw quick glances at Kenshin, only to see him glaring at his hands or the floor. After they left the car, Kaoru pulled Kenshin to a stop in the lobby. "Are you going to keep ignoring me or are you actually going to talk to me about what has you upset?"

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk right now." He pulled his arm out of her grasp and continued to walk towards the elevator where everyone waited for them.

Kaoru stopped short as he entered. "Go ahead," she waved as the door shut.

She could hear Yahiko's voice as the doors slid close. She turned back towards the entrance.

A young man walked up to her side. "Excuse me miss, is there anything I can help you with? You look a little lost."

She smiled at the sincere look on his face. "No, thank you. I'm just getting a bit of fresh air."

"It's raining..." He trailed off, uncertain.

"I know. The smell helps clear my head." It was true; she loved the smell of rain. It was just so soothing. Standing in the rain probably wasn't the best idea, but she didn't care.

Finding a bench outside, she took a seat and lifted her head towards the sky. Water slammed against her face as she took deep breaths. She didn't know what was wrong with Kenshin. He was so closed off from her, and it pissed her off. He'd told her that there were no secrets and she had kept that promise. She had no secrets from him, except for the ones that involved her job... but he seemed to be a big pile of secrets. When he wasn't happy, he'd push her away, trying to heal some emotional wound that was bothering him. That really hurt her.

He claimed that he loved her, but at the moment, she didn't feel loved. She felt hurt. She was disappointed that he couldn't trust her enough to have a talk with her. _You might be the problem._ Her mind suddenly hinted. Was she?

If so, what was the problem? There were plenty of things that could have been wrong. He'd made his opinion very clear when it came to her well being. Maybe she had done something to upset him. She couldn't help it though... this was what she did. He needed to trust her. She loved him, and trusted him more than she ever thought she could with anyone.

The rain was letting up, slowly but surely, by the time Kaoru headed back into the hotel. She headed towards the elevator, but quickly changed course- heading towards the stairs. She took them one at a time at a ridiculously slow pace. Something in her was dreading the inevitable encounter with Kenshin. He wouldn't talk to her, and she couldn't bare sitting in a suffering silence.

It felt like forever, but still not enough time, by the time she made her way to the door that separated her and Kenshin. She opened the door and froze. Everyone was in there, changed into their night clothes, looking completely comfortable and at ease with each other. Aoshi and Misao sat next to each other, the fingers of each of their hands intertwined with each other while Kenshin and Tomoe sat on the sofa, his arm flung over the back of the seat. Yahiko sat in the middle of them, on the floor.

He smiled at her. "Feel better?"

Kaoru looked at Kenshin, who avoided her gaze. Tomoe looked a little distant as well. Misao gave her a sad smile and Aoshi was stoic as well. _What the hell was going on?_ "Not really," she shrugged as she went to her suitcase, grabbed a few things and went into the bathroom.

She could hear the conversation continue, but the words were muffled by the door. She tried to tell herself that she didn't care, but she did. She pulled out her phone and dialed the only number she knew she could. "Hey." She paused, waiting for an answer. "I need your help. I'm in Fukushima. I need a ride home." She paused. "Yeah, I know... I was hoping you could help though." She laughed as the other person replied. "Don't give me that. You have connections everywhere." She listened to his words. "That soon?" A grunt answered her. "Thanks. I'll see you in a little bit then."

Kaoru quickly changed as soon as she hung her phone up. Packing what she needed in her purse, she walked out of the bathroom, seeing them all again, their voices suddenly quieting. "Okay, I'll see you guys later." She said as she headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Yahiko asked as he began to stand up.

Kaoru shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I just need some more fresh air." She looked to everyone. "Have a great night." She cringed as the words left her lips. She didn't mean it at all, and they all knew it. Not looking back, she left the room and headed to a private airport where a man waited for her.

"Ms. Kamiya?" He arched his brow at her.

"That's me." She sighed, wondering if she had acted too hastily in her decision to leave.

"We'll be back in Tokyo in no time, miss." They boarded the small plane. They took off and she looked out the window, placing her hand against it. Rain drops slid down it at the pressure.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, she glanced at her phone. Missed calls. Of course. They were all from Yahiko.

_"Kaoru, where did you go? We're all worried about you! Call me back. We can't leave without you, so hurry up and call back."_

_"Kaoru, it's been hours since you disappeared. Call me back, please."_

_"Misao is about to send out a search party if you don't call me back."_

_"Kaoru-"_ the phone had been snatched from him, _"you better call us back. We're all worried. Kenshin's getting pissed that you've just disappeared like this." _

Kaoru scoffed as she listened to that. Was she kidding? Kenshin had been pissed when she was with him last night. He couldn't even look at her last night after the concert... now that she thought about it, he was having a hard time even before. She listened to a few more before she called Yahiko back. He answered on the first ring.

_"Where are you?!" He yelled into the phone. _

"Where are you?" She countered.

_"Fukushima. We've been looking for you."_ Even he sounded annoyed.

"Sorry, but I'm not there anymore." She felt bad, looking back, that she hadn't told Yahiko.

_"Where are you then?"_

"Tokyo." She cringed at the growl she received from her little guy. "Sorry, but I've got to go." She had an appointment this morning. That free flight hadn't come without a price.

_"Where are you going?"_

"This is a private job, Yahiko." She frowned. She'd never said that to him before. "Sorry." She expected him to hang up, yet he didn't.

_"Aren't you going to ask about the people you left behind?"_ He whispered.

She felt like such a bitch. "How are they?"

_"Worried. Now I'm scared to even talk to them. They're going to be so pissed Kaoru."_

"Maybe it's for the best then..." Maybe what she needed was space.

_"If this is about Kenshin, he-"_ Yahiko paused.

_He what?_ She wanted to scream out. _What's the big secret that everyone seems to be aware of except for me?_ "Okay Yahiko, I apologize." Someone knocked on her door. "I've got to go." She hung up without another sound.

Kaoru made her way to the door, and opened it. She smiled as she stepped back, letting the stranger in. "Long time no see."

The man looked her up and down. "From the way you sounded last night, I expected you to look worse for wear."

"I can keep myself picked up if need be," she tried to joke, but her voice seemed to fall flat.

"So, things are hitting a rough patch with my nephew, eh?"

* * *

_**Dum, dum, dummmmmmmmmmm. **_

_**Okay, sorry. The new appearance is totally obvious. Did you like the chapter? I know it seemed to add even more questions! I swear, I'm up to my eye balls in questions. Almost three thousand words a chapter just doesn't seem to be enough where answers are concerned. Gonna have to step up my game here (smiles). **_

_**Let me just tell you, I don't know where the hell this chapter came from. I had it all planned out in my head, then bam-something so ridiculously different. Gah. **_

_**Anyway, even with the weird ups and downs and super weird mood swings they seem to get (which let me tell you, are legit- I know some ridiculous people who inspire these outbursts, okay?), I really hope you like the chapter.**_

_**-K**_


	17. Chapter 17

**_Because I was gone for so long, I feel like I owe you another chapter. There's not much to say here, except I hope this isn't getting too weird for you guys. (laughs)_**

**_Here we go!_**

* * *

Kaoru had been away from her house for a week now. Hiko had shown up at her house earlier than she had expected. They'd talked about Kenshin and their relationship. She'd explained, in embarrassment, about how their relationship was more than just a facade. At least, she thought it had been. They talked to each other like a real couple. They even proclaimed their love in private. That was definitely not publicity.

Hiko had sat there in silence, taking all the news in at once, offering short replies when they were needed. He'd been distant since Hokkaido though, and he wouldn't talk to her. In fact, he seemed to be pulling away from her. She'd been so hurt that she could stand it. It had gotten too personal that everything that happened between them- every word or action- affected the way she responded when it really counted.

She didn't know what the problem was, and she thought that, with maybe some time away from him her mind would become clear again. After confiding in him, more than she thought she would, he took her away from her home and into his. At first, she refused but he had convinced her. Kenshin knew where she lived and he could come and go at any time he wanted to harass her door until she agreed to see him. Of course, he knew where his uncle lived as well, but he wouldn't be inclined to come and see him, especially without knowing that Kaoru was there.

While they had spent time together, she'd learned more about Kenshin. The one thing she had really wanted to know was the ever changing eye colour. One minute, they could be amethyst and the next they could be amber.

Hiko had had a hard time explaining that one, but he finally found the best way to compare it. "This isn't accurate," he had warned, "it's just the best way for you to understand." He leaned back in his chair while they drank tea. "It's like Kenshin has two souls inside of him. One is extremely angry. He could go off the hinges, emotionally, at any time. The slightest thing could set his anger off."

Kaoru had interrupted him. "Would he ever hurt anyone?"

Hiko shook his head. "No, he just becomes enraged. The other soul, he's a warm and gentle person." Hiko took a short breath. "I've never understood it myself, as I don't know what triggers those sides of him. The one thing I have learned though, is that both sides have an intense urge to protect. I'm just not sure if they protect in different ways.

Now she knew. "Has he always been secretive?" He had certainly been with her.

"I guess it depends. He only tells me what's necessary for me to know, but that doesn't mean it's the same for everyone." He gave her a curious look. "Is he secretive with you?"

Kaoru nodded before sighing. Maybe he didn't feel the same way she felt about him... She replayed all of their conversations in her head. "Why was he here?" Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as those words escaped. "I'm sorry, that was incredibly nosey and not at all my business."

Hiko gave a soft chuckle. "Sorry Kaoru, but even I can't tell you that."

She shook her head. "I understand. I'm sorry for asking. It wasn't my place."

They sat in silence until a knock at the door redirected their attention. The door immediately opened to reveal Akira Kiyosato. "You look well," he smiled at her.

She gave a small smile. "A bath does wonders." She didn't know why everyone was saying that to her; she felt like shit.

He smiled back at her before redirecting his to Hiko. "I found Enishi. He's willing to talk to you."

Kaoru's head snapped to look at Hiko. "What?"

"Don't insult my intelligence." He waved off her question. "I've known he's been the one since the break in Tokyo. He'd rushed back to you when the media had pictures of you plastered all over the television." He made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.

Akira cleared his throat. "What do you want to do?"

"Set up the meeting, of course." Akira gave a short nod before walking out, closing the door behind him.

Kaoru turned to him. "Let me be there." She begged.

"No." He said.

"Please!" She stood up and knelt down before him, gently resting her hand on his. "Please, you don't understand."

"I understand perfectly that you'll get your ass handed to you, yet again, and that if anything happens to you my nephew will try to kill me." He gave a humorless laugh. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"Kenshin isn't in charge of my life." She replied, her eyes dulling. Thinking of Kenshin made her heart ache. She still missed him.

"No, but while you'r here, I am."

"If you don't let me, I'll go looking for him by myself." She gave him a glare. "Is that what you want?"

He grinned at her devilish ways. "You won't let me win this, will you?"

"I've learned from the best." She smiled.

"So did my nephew, apparently." He grumbled.

"Have you heard from him since they got back?" She couldn't help but ask. She'd left, but that didn't mean she didn't care. In fact, as things stood right now, she cared too much.

"Yes." Hiko paused, debating on whether to tell her more. "He's...constantly irritated. I'm sure you know why." He gave her rueful smile.

She rolled her eyes. "He doesn't have any right to be. He brushed me off, ignored me, avoided me... he even left me. What? Does he want me to overlook all of that so he can get his shit together? I'm not going to sit there and take that." She sighed as her anger left at her last words. "I want to wait for him. I can wait for him, but I'm not just going to sit there and feel emotionally drained and confused while he wants to send mixed signals."

Akira entered again, a few minutes later, relaying the message of where and when they would meet. As they spoke, he sat beside Kaoru and she listened tentatively. When they were finished with the preparations, he turned to Kaoru. "How are you really holding up?"

"I'm too scared to tell you." She admitted. He was, after all, married to Tomoe.

"I don't repeat anything that happens here to my wife." He patted her shoulder in a soothing gesture.

"She feels like shit. My idiot nephew is making her miserable, if you can believe me." The way Hiko said it, they both knew that he believed it.

"I see," he tried to find something to say, but couldn't. "If you need anything, just let me know."

She nodded and then excused herself. She walked to her personal bathroom to do her business. She frowned with worry. She still hadn't started her period. _Don't freak out,_ she repeated calmly to herself. _This isn't as scary as it seems._ Pfft, whatever. This was terrifying as hell. She needed to make sure she wasn't pregnant. This would... be complicated.

Hiko wouldn't let her leave the property without an escort and they would definitely tell Hiko where she went. Maybe she should just wait and see? She mentally kicked herself; she couldn't do that.

She was three weeks late. What was she going to do? How could she get passed Hiko to find out? She sighed as she knew the truth. She couldn't. She walked back to the room only to find it empty.

There was only one other place that Hiko would be. His office. She knocked and was immediately let in. "Hiko... I have a problem."

He replied without looking up. "You've had one for the past week Kaoru." Only when she didn't reply, he looked up. Seeing the worried look on her face, he set his things aside and gestured for her to move forward. "What is it?"

"I need to go to a drug store." She answered quickly.

His eyebrows lifted slightly. "Any reason why?"

"I'm late." She admitted after a few seconds of silence.

He gave her a blank stare. "For?"

She wanted to laugh. He wasn't one for being without such obvious answers. "My period, Hiko. I haven't had one for almost a month." With anyone else, she would have felt awkward disclosing such information, but he was special to her.

His eyes widened. "I see." He stood up and walked around the desk. "Do you think you are?"

An odd question, but she could understand why he asked. "I don't know. I'd like to know for sure though. Don't you think that would be best?"

He nodded, but didn't give her permission to leave the premises. He pressed a button to call in Akira, who answered immediately. He strode into the room and gave Kaoru a quick smile. They'd been seeing a lot of each other.

"I need you to take Kaoru to her doctor." He said as he made his way back to his chair.

Akira gave her an alert look, "for what, may I ask?"

"That's for her to tell you, if she chooses." He was making it clear that Kaoru wasn't under any strict authority to broadcast her personal life to his staff.

"Can we be discrete please? I don't want a replay of last time." She didn't need Kenshin worrying. Actually, she didn't need him knowing until she knew. He overreacted last time. She was terrified to see how he would react a second time. They quickly dressed for the cold weather and made their way to the office.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he sat next to her, the driver keeping his eyes forward.

"Yeah. I- Can I tell you something and it not leave the two of us?" She whispered. He nodded. "I'm late."

His eyes widened; obviously he understood perfectly what was happening. "Are you going to tell-"

She already knew what he was going to ask, so she shook her head. His eyes widened even more, and she sighed. "He doesn't need to know right now. Not until I do."

"And if you are..."

"Then I'll tell him." She would be nervous as hell, though. She didn't want to tie him down to her in any way possible to make him resent her.

They finally reached their destination. The car parked after they had dropped them off. Akira had sat with her in the waiting room. She trembled at the possibilities, and he was nice enough to hold her hand.

Time seemed to slow down to an unbearable speed. When finally, she was called back. Akira told her he would be there when she got back. She nodded and walked to the back with the nurse.

* * *

She sighed as she walked out and met with Akira. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked when they sat back in the car.

"It's just stress." She smiled as she leaned back. In a way, she was relieved. She was young and for all she knew, single. She didn't want to be a mother by herself.

He congratulated her, even though it was an awkward one as they made their way back to the house. She appreciated the words and knew how he meant them. When they got back, she informed Hiko of her condition.

"I think you should talk to Kenshin." He'd commented.

"What?" She took a step back.

"It's the reason you're stressed." She opened her mouth but he hit her with a glare. "Don't tell me that's not the case, because I know it is."

She frowned. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

He shrugged. "Not really."

Kaoru sighed in resignation. "How long until he gets here?"

Hiko smiled at her. "A few hours, at least."

"He's not the only one coming, is he?" She knew him better than she wanted to.

"There's an event happening tonight, so they're expected to show up." He told her matter-of-factly.

"Uh-huh... Does he know that I'm here?" He gave her another shrug. That would be a no. "Great, can't wait." She responded sarcastically.

"Akira will be escorting you." He called after her as she started to leave.

She turned on her heel and glared at him. "Are you trying to pick a fight?" Her voice was slightly raised.

"I have my wife to look after," Akira said cautiously.

"Yeah, he's married. Remember?" She wanted to walk up to Hiko and smack the smirk right off his face.

"How could I forget? But that changes nothing." He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "See you both tonight. Kaoru, your dress is on your bed."

Kaoru walked out behind Akira, slamming the door before she continued to walk down the hall.

The night slowly fell and Kaoru tried to avoid going to the event happening tonight. She had no idea what it was for, and honestly she didn't care. She wasn't ready to face everyone yet. Mostly because she knew she was a bitch for leaving like that, and she didn't want to be rejected.

A knock at the door pulled her eyes away from the indigo dress that lay on her bed. "Come in." She called.

An older woman she had seen walking around the house came in. "Excuse me, Miss Kamiya. Master Hiko sent me to help you dress. It's a bit complicated for one person." She smiled nervously.

"Thank you." She tried to sound polite.

"Not a problem at all." She smiled back timidly. "Now, if you don't mind getting undressed..." Kaoru followed her instructions quickly. There was no point in making her job hard. This woman hadn't been the source of her frustrations, just another pawn in Hiko's game.

"How long have you worked for Hiko?" She asked as the woman tied the back of her dress tightly.

"Oh, for as long as I can remember." She smiled. "He's putting my daughter through school, so continuing to work here is the least I can do."

"That's nice of him." She smiled at the unexpected admission. She knew Hiko well enough to know that he wouldn't make this woman work off the debt.

"It is." She covered Kaoru's dress up with a cloth as she applied make up to her face and fixed her hair.

When Kaoru opened her eyes again, she felt like she was looking at a different person. Her hair was in a loose, yet firm bun. Tendrils of hair fell out in a spiral down her back. Her eyes were clear and stood out against the dark make up covering her eyes.

She looked beautiful.

Kaoru stood and gave the woman a gentle hug. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome."

Akira knocked at the door before entering. "I hope you're ready-" he paused as he saw her. "Wow. You look lovely."

"Thank you." She gave shy curtsy. Akira bowed towards her and the three laughed. She sobered at the thought of what was happening downstairs. "Are they here?"

Akira nodded. "Yeah, they've been here for awhile. Kenshin met with his uncle about twenty minutes ago. He still has no idea that you're here. Hiko is waiting for us before he officially joins the party." He explained and Kaoru nodded.

"I guess we better get this over with." She took his extended arm as they walked to Hiko, who was at the top of the staircase.

"You look lovely."

"I'm still mad at you." She said, even though there was no hard feelings behind the words.

"I'm sure you'll forgive me." He grinned. "Are you ready?"

"No." She replied. "Let's do it."

"Don't show emotion as you descend the stairs." Akira told her as Hiko went down first. "The people here judge you on their very first glance at you."

"Look stoic?" She looked less than sure.

"Yes. Don't worry, I wouldn't steer you in the wrong direction." Her hand was still placed on his arm, and he touched it with his other hand.

They descended the stairs, and murmurs were almost immediately rising from the large crowd. Kaoru was almost impressed by the group. She heard a gasp that she knew all too well. Tomoe, followed by Misao. She eyes scanned the room for them, but she couldn't pinpoint their location.

"I think your wife is going to be a little pissed off at you." She tried not to smile. She knew what they had to look like together.

"She'll get over it." He replied.

"Nothing a little groveling can't fix."

"I'm not above it." He smiled and she gave a small laugh as they reached the floor.

She took her hand from his arm as she spotted Tomoe. She gave him a light push. "Go. This is your time to grovel."

Akira laughed as he brought her hand to his lips. Kissing her knuckles, he said his goodbye as he went to placate his wife.

She stood there for a few minutes, though those minutes seemed like ages. The guests of this event ignored her. They would throw her curious looks, but no one dared approach her. They didn't know anything about her, and honestly, she was fine with that. Idle chatter wasn't really her field of expertise anyway.

"I see this is where you've been hiding for the past week."

She turned at Kenshin's voice. She wanted to run, to get as far away from his as possible. Him being so close brought everything back to the forefront and she wasn't ready to deal with this yet.

Sensing that she might run at any time, he gently grabbed her arm.

As she looked into his eyes, she noticed that they were amber. He was pretty pissed off, not that she could blame him. _Suck it up, Kaoru._ She took a deep breath. "Yeah, this is where I've been."

"Doing what?" He asked curiously. It was more like a demand to know than a real question.

He was wondering what was going on with her and Akira. She knew it. He had no idea that she knew his uncle and the fact that she had been staying here and had even been escorted by Akira... she knew it made his blood boil.

"Hiding from the world... from my feelings." She paused. "From you."

* * *

**_Yeah! I never know if chapters are too long or not. Or even too short. Can someone give a decent number on how many words you think a chapter should be? _**

**_So what did you think? The tour is over but Enishi still isn't caught! Even though he has a meeting with Hiko, do you think he'll stick to it? I guess we'll see. _**

**_What did you think about Kaoru's unexpected pregnancy scare? I've been wrestling with this decision for DAYS! Did I really want to include that? Yeah, in the end, as you can see, I did. She had one pregnancy scare that wasn't even hers. I thought she should at least get her own. And she did. _**

**_So now, after a week, she finally has to face Kenshin again... only because of his prying and obnoxiously bossy uncle. _**

**_You still don't know the relation between those two, but can you guess?_**

**_-K_**


	18. Chapter 18

**_Such an unexpected turn of events I must say! I really have no idea where all of that came from... okay, that's not entirely true. I'd been wrestling with a few decisions already, as I previous stated. So let's see where they go from here. Any thoughts, my peeps? (laughs)_**

**_Just really quick, I'd like to point this out. I know when I've been talking about Kaoru's place of residence, I'll switch between, home, apartment and house. Let me just make this clear. It's an apartment... I just don't want to overuse the word... and I do call an apartment a house. It's like... a home, just less personal, I suppose._**

**_Here it is: Chapter 18_**

* * *

Kenshin stood there in confusion. He was also stunned by the confession. She had been hiding from him? He wasn't stupid and he knew he'd treated her like shit. He'd heard enough of it from Misao; not that it was necessary. For her to admit it though, that was definitely a surprise.

Kaoru looked over to see Hiko approaching. He touched both of their shoulders, but looked to Kaoru. "Is everything okay?" He sounded impassive, but she knew better. He wouldn't ask if he didn't care.

"Everything is fine, thanks." She gave a small smile and he nodded.

"Don't do anything stupid." He looked at his nephew. "I don't need any more questions." He walked off and left the two on their own. They weren't really alone though. Every move they made was under the constant scrutiny of Hiko's guests- though she still had no idea who they were.

"Look-" Kaoru started, but Kenshin put his index finger against her lips.

"Wait." His voice was low and soft, almost like a whisper. "I need to apologize to you."

She stared at his face, her mouth opening slightly. She was obviously surprised.

He pushed her chin up with his index and middle finger. "Don't look so shocked. I'm not above an apology."

Kaoru tried not to physically react when she looked into his eyes and saw amethyst specks against the amber.

"The way I treated you those last few days... I was a dick."

"You're right, you were." She didn't give him a chance to explain. She'd been hurt more than she cared to admit and he was finally here. He was going to listen, finally, about how this has been for her. "You think I'm invincible, physically and mentally because of my job? Well guess what, I'm not." She tried to keep her voice down, but it was hard. Eventually, she caught a few people's attention. "You've taken me on an emotional roller coaster this whole time and it's honestly made me a wreck. I've tried to give you your space, I've done everything that you've asked within reason. It just doesn't seem to be enough though." Her last words were let out in a painful whisper. She'd gotten it all out, but now she just felt drained.

He stood there as words failed him. His mouth opened and closed multiple times before he finally spoke. "I've been having a hard time coping... with everything." He admitted. Kaoru gave him a skeptical look and he frowned. "What, you think this is easier on me? I have to go out there, every single time and pretend that nothing is wrong. I'm not thrilled at the aspect of being a sitting duck. I don't want to get shot, if you can imagine that. It pisses me off to no end that he would be so selfish as to put my fans' lives in jeopardy as well. They shouldn't have to go through something like that. Ever."

Kaoru stood there, her eyes wide as the words just fell out of his mouth. Confession after confession. "I hate that you put yourself in danger, as well." She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "I know you have to. I know that you can do this, but I hate it. You make yourself a target every single time and I can't stand it." He shook his head in disgust. "I push you away because I'm afraid to stay close to you." He whispered harshly. "I don't want to lose you, but either way I feel like I will. Either I can keep you as close as I can for as long as I can, or I have to let you go." He took a step closer to her, but he didn't touch her. "I'm afraid to lose you." He admitted.

"You have to trust me." She whispered as she reached forward and touched his arm. To others, it looked like they were whispered to each other, holding a private conversation, but this was more. So much more.

"I want to." He sighed. "I don't know if I can trust myself."

Kaoru didn't even know where this was going. She had barely expected a hello, yet here he was, spilling his guts out to her. "Kenshin..." She didn't know where to go from here.

"I know that saying I'm sorry isn't going to make this go away, but I am and I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you." He took her hand in his.

"Anything?" She looked hopeful. Kenshin reluctantly nodded, no doubt nervous on what she would ask for. "I want you to hug me." Her voice broke as her eyes watered. She'd missed him terribly. No matter how much she told herself that time away from him would clear her head, it didn't. It just made her heart ache. After spending day after day with him for months, she felt so lost without him.

Kenshin didn't hug her though. He took Kaoru and pulled her away from the eyes of others. In a corner, he pulled her against himself. As his hands encircled her back, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

Kaoru tensed in his arms a moment before relaxing and wrapping her own arms around his neck. She pulled away as his grip loosened. "Kenshin, what do you want?"

"I want you." He replied.

Something in his voice, made her pause. "But?"

"But it isn't going to be easy. I can't just turn off my thoughts and feelings about what you put yourself against." He completely leg for of her then. He didn't want to influence her response in any way. He wanted to give her the space she needed to think clearly. Could she agree to that?

Kaoru searched his eyes while her mind ran wild. It was very clear what she wanted. She wanted him, and she could deal with his over-protectiveness. She just couldn't handle him pushing her away again. "It hurts when you push me-"

"I won't," he replied hastily. She opened her mouth and he put his fingers against her lips. "I won't push you away again. I promise. I just... lost. I didn't know what to do; how to react."

"I know." She smiled. Taking his hand, she led him back to the room flooded with people.

"I wanted to ask," Kenshin began as they entered the spotlight again, "how did you become acquainted with Hiko?"

She looked up at his face, her brows slightly furrowed. "He didn't tell you?" Kenshin shook his head._Of course. I should expect nothing less._ "He was my first client." She shrugged as she stepped to move forward.

Kenshin pulled her to a stop. "He what?"

His voice wasn't angry- more stunned. "It's not a big deal, Kenshin."

"He's the one who gave you the in you needed." It wasn't a question, but a verbal realization. Kaoru nodded before Kenshin sighed and began to walk, pulling her along with him.

"Kaoru!" They pulled up short as Misao and Aoshi walked towards them. Misao walked up to Kaoru and pulled her into a hug. "How are you?"

Kaoru awkwardly pat her back. "I'm fine." She gave a small little laugh. "Misao, you're pulling my dress down." She admitted.

The girl instantly pulled back, "oh, I'm sorry."

Kaoru readjusted her dress as Kenshin looked at their two friends. "Can you two stay with her for a minute?"

"Kenshin." Kaoru's voice held a warning tone.

"Just for a minute." He gave her a placating smile. "I just want to talk to my uncle privately for a moment."

Kaoru nodded as he turned and walked away from her, towards his uncle.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Misao asked from her side. They too were watching to see what was going to happen. It wasn't like Kenshin to approach his uncle so openly. From what they knew anyway.

"Did you know Hiko was his uncle?" She glanced at Misao.

"Yeah. Sorry, I just thought you knew." She gave an apologetic smile. "It's not something we usually talk about."

Kaoru looked back to Kenshin, seeing him talk to his uncle. "It's okay. It wasn't mandatory that I know... but I should have done some digging into his family."

"Does it make a difference?" Aoshi asked.

"No." She looked on and took an involuntary step forward as Hiko took a menacing step towards his nephew. His face was hard, but so was Kenshin's. She couldn't understand why they were acting so hostile towards each other. She excused herself quickly, despite Misao's squawks of protest. Kaoru made her way to Akira, who was still beside his wife, oblivious of the situation at hand.

"What is it?" He and Tomoe looked at her as she placed her hand on his arm. In an all too familiar way, based on the way Tomoe was glaring at her.

She indicated to the scene the two were beginning to cause. Akira quickly excused himself as he went to fix whatever problem was beginning to arise. Kaoru went to follow, but Tomoe caught her arm. Kaoru turned to look her in the eye. "Excuse you."

"What are you doing with my husband?" What she implied wasn't missed, but Kaoru didn't need this... on top of everything else.

"We've worked together before." She didn't have time to beat around the bush. "And I consider him a good friend." She snatched her arm away from Tomoe to follow after the woman's husband.

She just reached his side before Kenshin's fist landed against Hiko's cheek. The other man stumbled back, as guests scattered, screeching at the sudden disturbance. Hiko came at the young singer, but not wanting to hurt him- he gave Kenshin a shove.

Kenshin, not wanting to show him mercy, swung again, only to have it deflected by Akira knocking against him. Kenshin took a few steps back at the sudden, unexpected contact. It didn't distract him though. He was back on his uncle, heedless of the people around him.

Kaoru, not wanting to cause even more of a scene, grabbed Kenshin, only to have Akira, slightly push her back. She knew that he was doing it because he wasn't sure how Kenshin would react. She didn't mean to, but her instincts of survival came to her, which is something they shouldn't have. She knew she was safe, but something just snapped.

Kaoru shoved Akira, making him fall back into Hiko, who was so surprised by the sudden act, caught the man and took a few steps back at the weight of the other man. Kenshin froze as Kaoru grabbed his arm in a tight grip. She stepped in front of him, pressed her hand against his chest, and pushed him away from his uncle.

Letting go, she threw a look at Hiko. "Enough. What the hell is going on here?" She mentally cringed at the cowering guests. Nothing could ever just go smoothly, could it?

"Why don't you ask your little pet?" Hiko taunted. The way Kenshin seemed to protect her was like a dog protecting it's master.

Kenshin, unfortunately, took the bait. He stepped to rush Hiko, but Kaoru caught him as he tried to plow right through her. She shoved him back. "Stop!"

"He knew." Kenshin's breath was heavy. "He knew about Enishi, from almost the very beginning and he didn't even say anything." Instead of pushing against Kaoru, he drew her closer to him as he looked at the older man, who was warily being watched by Akira. "She could have died! Don't you get that?!" He yelled. "You could have killed her." His voice was vicious.

Kaoru, against better judgement, clung to Kenshin. If anything, she wanted to be a lifeline to him.

Hiko looked at the two of them and gave a hint of a smile. "I apologize. Though Kaoru already knew this. She found out a little earlier."

He turned back to his guests, who had scrambled away from the four people. "I apologize for the interruption. Unfortunately, my nephew and I had a little bit of a misunderstanding. Let's set this behind us as we continue to enjoy ourselves throughout the evening."

People were hesitant, but soon everyone was back into their conversations, but they still glanced around from time to time, ready for another scene.

Kenshin stayed far away from his uncle as Kaoru never left his side. "Thank you for sticking up for me," she whispered against his suit jacket, still clinging to him.

"I know you didn't need it, but I couldn't contain my anger. He..." Kenshin sighed, not even bothering to finish his sentence.

"I know, but thank you." She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek.

* * *

**_I hope you all enjoyed that. The next chapter will be more fast paced. I'm so sorry that it took so long to update. I came down the with flu, and started talking to my best friend again... so I've been a little busy. I'm so glad to be back though. _**

**_I'll try to update soon. I promise. I have a project to do by Friday and three final exams next week. So I'm going to try and get more chapters in for you all. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

**_-K_**


	19. Chapter 19

**_It's finals week, guys. I hate it. I have three days of tests, four tests, three finals. Ridiculous. I'm so sorry that it's taken so long to update. I didn't forget about you though, I promise. _**

**_Hapiflower: Yes, I do believe things are starting to wrap up, so I hope that you (and everyone) will enjoy the rest of the story. Immensely. (Smiles)_**

**_So here we go, chapter_ nineteen.**

* * *

A few weeks had passed since the fight at Hiko's party. That night, as everyone went home, he had told his nephew to stay with Kaoru and talk things over. They needed to set everything straight. They needed to tell each other everything. The small things. The big things. Anything that mattered even in the slightest needed to be shared. It was time they were completely honest with each other. Kenshin had lay down with her in bed as he told her his life story. She might not need to know all of that, from the beginning, but it would give her a better understanding of who he was as a person.

She lay there in his arms as he recounted past. It wasn't typical; he'd told her that he had lost his parents, but he never told her how. They had been murdered while Kenshin was sleeping in the next room. The one who had killed his parents had been caught months later, after Kenshin was already living with Hiko. The man had killed someone else's parents, but the person hadn't expected the couple to have an older child who would come home late. The boy who came home had found him, covered in blood, in the home living room. There was a tussle and the man was arrested after the police had been called.

Kenshin never saw the man and he had never wanted to. It was a part of his life that could only bring back pain. He admitted to Kaoru that two years ago, in a fight within the prison the man had died.

Kaoru didn't reply afterwards; all she could do was push herself up and lean over him, giving him a soft, understanding kiss. He needed the comfort, and no matter how much she wanted her words to reach him and have him feel better, she knew that her words could never make that part of his life disappear or even a little bit better. As she settled down by his side again, she told him about her life again. Nothing was out of the norm. She had a good childhood. She was a little over achieved than other students and that made her transfer out. Everything was great until the night her family died. Until Enish. He didn't say anything to make her feel better, but his fingers lightly traced up and down her back. After that, no words were said. They lay in a comfortable silence until Kenshin turned his head to peer down at her. He'd told her that the only thing that he regrets is that he couldn't introduce her to his parents like he wanted to. They would have loved her.

She'd stared up at him in shock. That was definitely something that she hadn't expected him to say, but she was honored. That was the first night they had seriously told each other that they loved each other. That they were in love with each other. It had taken time away from each other to realize what they were missing...

They had returned to Tokyo the next morning. Kenshin had quite easily persuaded Kaoru to move out of her apartment and into the house with him. She would have her own room for privacy that she needed. He had made it absolutely clear that she was more than welcome into his room at any time, though. Yahiko moved in with the two of them as well, of course, getting his own room. He and Kaoru were still kind of rocky after she had left him with people he didn't really know, but he had come to terms and had began the process of forgiving her. While they were all in the house, they acted like a small family; it was very comfortable.

While everyone was back in Tokyo, but Kaoru had traveled back to Hiko's home. She walked into his office without warning. She looked around, not at all surprised to see Akira sitting to his right, his right leg crossed over his left. They both looked slightly startled as the door flung open. Obviously they hadn't expected her to come back.

"Kaoru, I thought you and Kenshin made up." Hiko said nonchalantly, though she knew he was trying to get a rise out of her. For kicks.

"Oh, we're perfect." She walked over to the side of his desk and leaned against it. "When are we meeting Enishi?" She didn't waste time. She wanted this to end.

"This shouldn't involve you Kaoru." Akira stood up.

She wanted to roll her eyes, but that wasn't at all respectful. And if there was one thing he deserved, it was her respect. He had saved her ass more than a few times. "I need to settle this." She answered.

"This isn't going to bring-"

She cut him off with a vicious glare. "I know it won't bring them back." Her voice was harsh, but her eyes were still haunted. That part of her life was never going to be forgotten, and it still hurt, but it was less now that she wasn't the only having to bear the weight of her secret. "This isn't about them, this is about Kenshin. And Tomoe. He has no reason for doing this." She explained.

"He thinks he does." Akira shrugged.

"Do you really expect me to accept that excuse?" She threw him another glare.

"Not at all." He paused for a moment. "Do you think that maybe you're a little too involved with this?"

"Are you kidding me? Why are you so against me being a part of this?" She gave him a suspicious look.

"I just think you should leave this to us. Go back to Kenshin." His last comment was more than just a recommendation, and her spine stiffened at the authoritative undertone.

Kaoru pushed off the side of the desk and tried to make her way to Akira, but Hiko grabbed her, keeping them separate. "Don't Kaoru." He said calmly.

"I'm going to do this with or without your help." She looked between the two of them as she pried herself away from Hiko and gave him a pointed look. "You know why this is important to me."

He nodded and looked at Akira, subtly nodding his head.

"Enishi might say something that could hurt you... and your relationship with Kenshin." Akira looked away sheepishly.

Kaoru eyed him warily. "What are you talking about?"

"About Tomoe and Kenshin's relationship." Hiko stated simply.

Her eyes grew wide as she stared at Akira. "You knew about that?"

Akira's eyes grew equally wide. "You knew?" He replied.

"Yeah... Kenshin said that you didn't."

"Of course I knew. They were in my house. The people I employ answer to me, not my wife."

"And yet you're so nice to him." Kaoru observed. She secretly felt bad for Akira, though she knew he didn't want her sympathy. They thought they weren't harming anyone with their secret trysts, but really, it seemed like everyone knew. They were just blinding themselves so they wouldn't have to feel the guilt.

"If my wife has to run to someone else to satisfy her, not only should I be disappointed in her, I have to be mad at myself."

"Your job means a lot you. She can't fault you for doing what you have to, to take care of her." She paused as at how rude that had actually sounded. "If it makes you feel any better, they haven't been together in months."

Akira gave her a small smile. "Oh, I know." He knew she was going to ask how, so he answered before she could. "The way he looks at you shows that he wouldn't ever settle for someone who he sees as second best."

Kaoru took in his answer and nodded, hesitantly. "Are you and Tomoe okay then?"

"It takes time to gain all of that trust back, but yes. I'm willing to take as much time as possible to get us back to the place where we once were."

She nodded. She understood completely, but she wasn't going to let him distract her. "So if that's all you're worried about, then we're okay. So where are we meeting Enishi?" Akira gave a sigh and she had to cover her mouth to not laugh. He still didn't want her involved. No one did. She knew why, but she didn't want to accept that.

"You aren't meeting him anywhere." An angry voice answered from the doorway. Kaoru whipped around to see Kenshin. "You're going to go home and wait until this is settled."

"No." She answered automatically.

"Kaoru." He sounded irritated, not that she could blame him. She had walked out while he was sleeping, not telling him where she was going. This was something that had been a topic since the night of Hiko's get together though. so of course he would know where she was headed. "Don't argue with me on this."

"This is what I do Kenshin. Please, let's not get into this." They didn't need to make a scene in front of the other two. This was definitely a touchy subject for the two of them.

He looked at his uncle. "Give us the room."

The two quickly exited the room, Hiko telling them that they would be downstairs whenever they were done.

Kenshin turned to Kaoru. "I asked you- begged you- not to come here, hoping to talk to Enishi."

Kaoru took step towards him, only for him to take a step back. She froze in place and sighed. "I have to do this Kenshin."

"You don't have to finish everything." He replied. This was her job, and she never wanted to fail another person ever again. Not like Honoka. He, too, sighed. He didn't want it to always come back to this. She needed to move passed this.

"I have to do this." She whispered.

"I told you I would come and take care of everything with my uncle. With Akira. You didn't have to do this."

"I do have to do this!" She yelled, abruptly taking a step back. She hadn't meant to yell at him.

Kenshin sighed. "Fine, why do you have to do this?"

"I've told you why..." She mumbled.

"You gave me a piss-poor excuse. If that's why, then I'll drag you back home before I come back here."

Kaoru wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't want anything to happen to you." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "I have to do this so; he needs to know how serious I am about him coming after you again."

"And if your words didn't mean anything to him?" He asked, still standing where he was, not making any movements to come to her side.

"I would kill him." She didn't even hesitate. She looked into his eyes. "I would kill for you. I think I've made that more than clear."

"Kaoru, you don't have to do that. I'm not Honoka; nothing is going to happen to me." She flinched at his words. He wasn't Honoka, but she couldn't take that chance. She couldn't live with herself if anything happened to him, and she told him that.

"I can appreciate that," he gave a small, sympathetic smile, "but you've been hurt enough when it comes to him."

"When you first hired me," her head dropped as she looked at the floor, "you asked me if I would keep you safe at all cost. If it were between you and I, that you were the one who would come out alive." She felt so small. "Do you remember that?" When he didn't answer, she desperately wanted to look up and see how he had reacted to her question, but she couldn't. She was so nervous. That's when she felt his arms wrap around her. She froze at the unexpected feel of him, but she quickly untangled her arms from around herself before wrapping them around his waist, pulling him closer.

"I remember, but I didn't mean a word of that." He whispered into her ear. "I just wanted to make sure that you were serious about your assignment." He kissed the top of her head. "Enough has happened to you because of this."

"But I don't want anything to happen to _you_." She said against his shirt, making her voice muffled. He stayed quiet for a few minutes, only holding her in his arms, lightly swaying with her. It was comforting, and she enjoyed the feel of his arms around her, even if he was completely irritated with her.

"Okay," he finally sighed.

She looked up at him. "Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. We'll both go with them." He pulled back to look down at her.

"But-" She started, but he pressed a finger to her lips.

"No. You don't want me to go, and I don't want you to go. We're going to have to compromise somewhere. Either you and I both go or neither of us do."

She searched his eyes for a sign that she could persuade him otherwise, but she knew deep down that she couldn't. "Fine, we'll both go."

"Did Hiko ever tell you where they were meeting?"

She sighed. "No." She pouted and he laughed.

* * *

When they made it downstairs and into the parlor, the froze in the doorway. There sat Hiko, Akira and Enishi. When they looked up at the door, Enishi pushed to his feet as Kaoru took a step in front of Kenshin.

Enishi gave Hiko an accusing look. "Why are they here?" He growled.

"Kenshin is my nephew. It's why I arranged this. Everything needs to be put right." He looked up at the young man.

"You tricked me." He threw his glare to Kaoru, "and you..."

"Can't face the past?" She taunted.

"Oh I can face it just fine. In fact, I relish it. I love remembering the way your sister screamed as I tore through her stomach with my blade. The way your parents screamed for you to run as your whore mother fell over your worthless father. The way your little bastard siblings pleaded and begged for their lives as I cut them down." The glint was in his eyes were real and Kaoru felt the bile rise. "It seems like you're the one who can't let go of the past."

Kaoru took a step forward, but Kenshin grabbed her arm, keeping her by him. She shook with rage, but she didn't try to step away from him. "What you did will always be there," she admitted, "but I'm not bearing that burden alone anymore. No matter what I do or say, my family is never coming back." For the first time, she felt strong when she spoke about her family. "They will always be a part of me and they will always be with me, but they're gone. I've learned to accept that. But this isn't about them, as much as I'm sure you wish it was. This is about Kenshin."

"Don't fool yourself. You wouldn't be as half as invested in this as you are if it weren't for your family." He smirked evilly. "As for Kenshin, well... he shouldn't have taken away my sister."

"Kenshin didn't take away your sister," Akira stood beside him. "She went with him, willingly."

Enishi shook his head in denial. "No, if it weren't for Kenshin, things would have turned out differently. Tomoe and I would be closer. She wouldn't be a stranger to me."

"Tomoe and you would have drifted apart, regardless." Kaoru replied. "You're too different. You're clingy and unreliable. She's progressing in her life each and every day." She gently pulled her arm out of Kenshin's grasp. "What makes you think going after Kenshin would change her mind? You haven't ever tried to contact her and you would be killing one of her best friends."

"You don't know anything, you worthless bitch." He snarled.

Kenshin took stepped in front of her. "Don't you dare call her that." He growled.

"Oh, you're going to start being a tough guy now?" He was calling Kenshin out as a wimp, and they all knew it.

Hiko stood up, "enough."

But it was too late. Kenshin moved to rush Enishi, but Kaoru pulled him back as Enishi came at the couple. Kaoru pushed Kenshin behind her as she turned, pulled fist back and planted it against Enishi's face.

* * *

**_Yay! Chapter nineteen! _**

**_The next chapter you'll get to see how Kaoru takes care of the man who has been going after Kenshin and who killed her family. She says that it isn't about them, but with everyone bringing them up, do you think she could actually use that as a motivation to keep her rage against him, and put him in his place?_**

**_Let me know what you think? Any predictions?_**

**_-K_**


	20. Chapter 20

**_Oh. My. Gosh! I am so, so, so, so, so, so sorry that I haven't updated sooner. I was busy with school and I'm transferring so I was busy with that as well. I hope that you're all enjoying Keeping You Safe and I hope that I haven't lost you. _**

**_I'd like to go back to one of my previous stories really quick. If you've read "The Purpose", I want to know if you think (where they were drinking) that it was too... mellow- I guess that's the word I'm looking for. I don't get drunk (mostly because I know when to quit), so I'm not sure how it's really supposed to happen. I question myself because tonight I went to the bar with some of my family and then later got decked in the face. Freaking. Hurt. No lie. So do you think it was realistic? _**

**_Anyway, on with Chapter 20 of "Keeping You_**_ **Safe".**_

* * *

As Kaoru's fist connected with Enishi's face, he stumbled as his faced whipped to the side. Her anger was extraordinary. She wanted to be mad at everyone. At Enishi, for trying to take away everyone she loved and cared about it. At Kenshin, for trying to stop her and "protect" her. He tried to keep her safe at all costs, but that's not what she needed. She wanted to be mad at Hiko for tricking her into this. For tricking the both of them. They weren't his puppets, but he treated them as such. He'd known this all along, but he did nothing to prepare them. She wanted to mad at Akira for... well, just for being so damned understanding about everything. It was frustrating.

Enishi came back with the force of twenty men. He pushed her to the ground and tried to slam his weight on top of her, but she quickly rolled away from his descending body.

Kicking out, she caught his leg and he grunted in pain. There was a tiny pop and he hit the ground... harder than she expected. She gave him a quick assessment before glaring at Hiko. "Why did you do this?!" She demanded. She didn't like being toyed with.

He gave her a bored look before casting a curious glance at Enishi. "I wanted this to end, just as I said."

Kaoru climbed to her knees as Kenshin rushed to her side. "You knew where he was all this time, so why didn't you just turn him in? You have the power. Why put us through this?"

Hiko grinned. "You wanted this Kaoru, don't forget. You, yourself, wanted to put this to an end. Why get into legalities and politics in such a tussle?"

He was so carefree. It seriously pissed her off. Kenshin pulled her into his arms as Enishi started to move; his initial shock wearing off. He would fight through the pain. "You have a job. You know you're breaking so many rules." He argued.

"The only rules that I need to worry about breaking are my own."

"You don't worry about hurting your own nephew?"

He didn't even dignify a response as Enishi climbed to his feet. He glared at the couple. "I'm going to enjoy finishing what I started." His grin was sickening, and it made Kaoru's stomach lurch. He slowly moved to the door opening. "Come on, Kamiya. Let's see what you've got." He was out the door a heartbeat later, leaving them all standing there.

Kaoru looked from Kenshin to Hiko, to Akira. Then back to Kenshin. He gave her a warm smile, but she wasn't sure what it meant. "What are you waiting for?" He whispered. "Go get him." Her eyes widened. He would have laughed if it were the time.

"You trust me with this?" She couldn't believe her ears.

"I always have, I just didn't want to put you in the position." He leaned down to give her a small kiss before she took off after the villain in her life.

She ran down the hall before quickly up the stairs where he found a woman shivering on a step. Kaoru knelt beside her. "Are you okay?"

"He threatened to kill me if I helped you in any way." She whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

Kaoru nodded before sighing. "It's okay, you can tell me. Afterwards, go down to the parlor and tell Hiko what you've told me. They'll keep you safe." If Hiko didn't, Kenshin would.

She nodded before telling Kaoru that he went up the second flight and disappeared after that. She honestly had no idea where he was. Kaoru thanked her before racing towards the spot.

She rounded the corner before he stepped in front of her and kicked her back. She landed on her back and gave a small cry. Enishi neared her and reached down to grab hold of her. She kicked out as well, and hit him in the stomach and nicked his arm. He hissed as he stepped back and grasped it.

"You bitch!" He growled dangerously.

"It must really sting to know that you're about to be bested by a girl, especially when she's gotten the better of you before." She gave a malicious grin, and hoped it looked more convincing than it felt. She was scared to death but she couldn't let him win. He could _never_ win. And this was about to be over. There was no escaping. This was it. One of them would be defeated once and for all.

She jumped to her feet as he came at her; punches were thrown and grunts were made. Bloody and bruised, they both panted in exhaustion. They knew what was at stake here, and they needed to give their all.

Kaoru's voice came out in a harsh whisper. "You aren't going to win this."

"Of course I am." His voice was just as harsh. "You have so much more to lose than I do. You'll be too worried about everyone but yourself and that is a distraction."

She shook her head and disappointment. He really was too different from Tomoe. They would have always strayed from one another in the long run. "That's why I'll win. I have so many people counting on me; Tomoe included. You... you're all by yourself."

He didn't dignify a response as he rushed her again. It wasn't fair, but she was getting tired of this game of cat and mouse. As he reached to grab her, she grasped his wrist, and pulled it against his back. He wasn't expecting the move, so he hadn't the chance to react. She pulled out her gun and pushed it against his head... it was the same thing that had happened to Kenshin when he'd forced his way into her apartment.

She kicked out his knees and he fell in front of her, her hold on him still firm. He growled as he stood there on his knees. He knew he couldn't move, so he didn't even struggle. She had the upper hand. "Don't fuck with me Yukishiro." Her voice was louder than she'd expected, but she worried that he wouldn't be able to hear her if she had whispered her threatening words. She wasn't close to his body, she couldn't be. He was vile to her.

"You think you've won this?" He almost laughed, but she pushed the gun harder against his head.

"I don't see how you could now." She countered.

He leaned forward, his weight hitting the floor, dragging her with him.

Kaoru landed on top of him, quickly scrambling to sit up right before he could react. Her weight had been unexpected to him, leaving him slightly slower than what he'd wanted. She pushed herself against his back, holding him down with her knees as the gun slammed against the back of his skull.

He froze in place, realizing the seriousness of what was to come. His breathing slowed and became shallow. This was it. These were his last final moments.

The gun clicked. She was ready to end this all. As she started to pull the trigger, footsteps caused her to stop, and glance behind them both. There, in the flesh, was Tomoe. Her face was read and her eyes were watery.

Akira had told her. It was so obvious. She wanted to beat the bastard for his sensitive views on this.

"Kaoru, please. Don't shoot him." She begged like she'd actually meant it, which gave Kaoru even more pause.

The three men came up behind her. Obviously they weren't in as much of a hurry as she was. Kenshin gave her a soft look. "Kaoru." He only said her name, but the meaning meant so much.

He wanted her to know that everything was okay. That she could walk away without killing him and it would still be over. He would never be able to do anything to either of them -_to anyone- _for the rest of his miserable life. She drew a ragged breath as Akira came to her side and helped her up. He slowly pulled the gun out of her hand before bringing Enishi to his feet.

Kaoru made her way to Kenshin, looking a little dazed. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she was scared. She'd almost killed someone. True, it was either him or her loved ones. They would always won, but she hadn't been sure if she was ready to take a life like that. Had she shot him in the back of the head, she wouldn't have been able to live with it- with herself.

Kenshin grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. keeping her close to his heart. "It's okay." He whispered. "You're okay."

"I almost killed him." She replied, not meeting his eyes.

"I know, sweetheart." He ran his hand against her head and down her hair.

"I wanted to." Her voice was hollow, but she couldn't cringe.

"You were in the moment. You were keeping yourself alive." She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off. "I know you would have regretted it, but don't dwell on it."

He didn't mean to sound so cold about it, she knew. She just couldn't help but dwell on it. She'd almost killed a man. He deserved it for all that he'd done, but still... was that really her place?

Hiko came to her side. "You'll be happy to know that Yukishiro is going away for the rest of his life."

Kaoru gave him an annoyed glance. "After I got the shit beat out of me. Thanks." The sarcasm dripped from her word of appreciation.

He looked down at her. "You do look like you need a bath. Why don't you freshen up a bit and we'll talk later."

She didn't want to talk later, she wanted to go home. She wanted to be with Kenshin and Yahiko.

"Uncle, why don't you come to Tokyo in a few days. We'd love to have you over, but I really think we should be going home."

He gave them a surprised look. "Are you sure you should be travelling in such a condition?"

Kaoru gave a weak smile. "Nothing is broken. I'm just tired and confused." And scared.

Hiko nodded. "Very well then." He looked at the others and then back at them. "Go, we'll take care of this."

* * *

When Kenshin and Kaoru returned home, Kenshin had ushered her into the bathroom, demanding that she took a bath. Not because she looked or smelled bad -all that blood and sweat had made a difference though- but because shew as sore and exhausted. He'd hoped that it would make her feel better. She had agreed immediately.

When he went to check on her half an hour later, she was asleep, the warm water had already began to cool. When he picked her up, she'd willingly shifted into his arm. He gave a small chuckle before taking her into her room and dressing her into her nightgown. Laying her down, he'd covered her up and left her to check on Yahiko. She'd slept the whole night through.

The next day, she'd woken up to Kenshin's arm wrapped around her waist. She smiled and snuggled closer to his body only to have him kiss her temple. "Good morning," he said.

She had smiled and returned the words, meaning them whole heartedly. They'd stayed like that as long as they were able before they heard ruckus in the rest of the house. Kaoru had been sore, but Kenshin had stayed by her side, making sure that she was as comfortable as she could be.

The week had rolled along before they finally heard from Hiko- though there was still no sign of Tomoe or Akira. Kenshin had said they'd probably needed time. Why wouldn't they? They'd been through so much.

Kaoru picked up the phone as it rang that afternoon. They'd been surrounded by friends since the late morning. "Hello?"

_"How are you feeling?" _

Kaoru smiled at Hiko's directness. She put her hand over the mouthpiece as Kenshin got her attention, only to give her a quizzical look. _Hiko,_ she mouthed. "I'm feeling much better, thank you."

_"Great. I thought I would call to let you know that Enishi is safely put away. Nothing official, but I'd like to go ahead and say that it's a done deal."_

Kaoru gave a relieved sigh. "Thank you so much." She smiled. "I thought you would be coming over to deliver the news."

_"I would, but I have things to do here." _Of course he did. _"Akira would like me to inform you that he and Tomoe will be getting in touch with you soon. So expect it. Have a good afternoon." _Not waiting for an answer, he hung up.

Kaoru stared at the phone, speechless.

Kenshin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What did he say?"

"He wanted me to know that Enishi isn't ever going to bother us again."

He kissed her neck lightly, affectionately. "Thank you."

"Thank you," she smiled as she turned in his arms.

"Do we need to leave you two alone?" Misao teased from the sofa.

"If they do, please, take me with you." Yahiko made a mock gagging noise and Kaoru flipped him the bird. They all laughed.

"We can wait." Kenshin grinned and Yahiko choked on the drink he'd just slid down his throat.

"No, no. I think I need to get out of here." He gave Aoshi a pleading gaze. "Please let me go with you."

"Who said we were leaving?" Misao asked, her grin spread from ear to ear.

"We are." Aoshi said, flicking her earlobe lightly. "Come on, kid." He stood up and they were quickly gone after brief goodbyes.

* * *

_**I really thought my next chapter would be the epilogue, but apparently not. Oops, my bad (laughs). Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed chapter twenty. I've kind of lost my touch with the violence, so hopefully, if I get my spark back I'll come back and rewrite that scene. No fears though, the basic set up will not change (cheers). **_

_**Anyway, please, let me know how you enjoy it. Thanks, loves.**_

_**-K**_


	21. Chapter 21

**_My lovelies, I am ever so sorry that it has taken me so long to update. For a while, I thought I was just going to let this go. And I bet it seemed like it for you, as well. I swear, I'm going to finish this if it kills me. I've actually been working on revising it. I'm sure a few places need it, but we'll see after I finish this. I've actually been working on a couple of novels, which is part of why it's been taking me so long to update. The other part is because I ended up switching universities, so I've been getting the hang of this new one. By the way, I love it. And now that I have more free time, I might be putting up new stories. But again, we'll see. Let's focus on finishing this one, shall we? _**

**_So here we are, FINALLY, chapter 21._**

* * *

Weeks had passed and still no one heard from Tomoe. Everyone was beginning to worry, and Kaoru was beginning to feel guilty. If anything, she shouldn't have brought Tomoe into this. At the time, she thought that, being his sister, she had the right to know about Enishi, but now she wasn't so sure. As she lay in bed Kenshin, she sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"What is it?"

She turned her head to see Kenshin staring at her. "Do you think that we," she paused and closed her eyes. "That I pushed her too much about Enishi?"

Kenshin tightened his arm around her and leaned closer. "No. She needed to know. It's not like you could control him; he was bound to do something stupid. That's not at all your fault." He pulled her closer to his body. "Feeling guilty?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I feel like I could have taken another route. I don't know what, but... I should have thought of something."

"Sweetheart, there's nothing that you could have done." He kissed her temple, trying to comfort her.

Kaoru glanced at him and smiled. He did everything he could to make her feel better. Since the incident, he'd barely let her out of his sight. He wasn't control or demanding, just fearful. He explained that he didn't want anything to happen to her, and if did, he wanted to be there to protect her. "There seems to be a reversal of roles," she'd joked with him. He smiled at her humor, but the seriousness had still been in his eyes. Thinking back through the time they'd been together, she couldn't picture her life without him. It hadn't been too much time, and it wasn't explainable, but she wasn't going to question it.

"What are you thinking about?" He whispered in her ear.

"You," she answered honestly. "How far we've come and what bullshit we've been through."

Kenshin pulled her over to face him. "It hasn't been easy, has it?"

Kaoru let out a breathy laugh. "It's been one roller coaster after another." She leaned closer and kissed his chin quickly. "But you're worth it."

"I hope so," he laughed. He let go of her after a few minutes. "I guess I'll go see if Yahiko is ready for breakfast." The plan was to have Yahiko stay with them until they could set him up at a new apartment, but after having him around, they decided it was best for him to stay with them. Kaoru loved him, and didn't ever want to put him in unnecessary danger again. With their jobs, it was inevitable, unfortunately, but at least she could be there to protect him. He always had her back, and she would be damned if she didn't always have his.

"I think I'm going to call Akira," Kaoru said, sitting up in bed. She grabbed her phone, but caught Kenshin's stare. "What?"

"Tomoe might not be ready to talk."

"That's why I'm calling Akira. He's only affected by this because she is. I won't ask to talk to her, I promise." She looked into his eyes, "please?" She was learning to take his feelings into consideration when it came to things like this.

He nodded. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything." He began to walk out of the room, but she stopped him.

"Eggs, scrambled with toast." She grinned at him.

He looked at her in mock disgust. "What am I, your servant?"

Kaoru bit her lip and smiled at him. She was going for the innocent look, but by the heated look in his eye, she could tell that hadn't been the case. As he stalked back towards her, her stomach growled loudly. She felt a blush creep up onto her face as her hands flew to her stomach. Kenshin burst into laughter at the unexpected noise. "Shut up," she pouted. "It's not funny."

He laughed some more. "Sorry, sorry," he tried to contain his amusement, but he couldn't.

"Go make Yahiko breakfast." She growled. "Dick," she whispered, a smile reluctantly pulling at her lips.

"I heard that," he smiled as he walked towards the entrance of their bedroom. "And yes, I'm very aware that I have one."

She laughed at his words. "And we're very fortunate that you know how to use it." Kenshin looked back at her, stunned. She only stuck out her tongue. "Go, so I can make this call." When he was out of earshot, she dialed Akira's number.

"Hey Kaoru," he sighed into the phone. "She's not ready to talk yet."

Kaoru sighed too. "How's she doing?"

"She's still struggling, not that I blame her. She's been going to see him everyday. Honestly, I don't know what to do. I can only sit here and comfort her, but I wish I could do more." Akira was rambling; he never rambled, and it made Kaoru feel all the worse.

"I can't even imagine..." Well, she could, on some level. She'd lost her whole family, and almost the man she loved, because of him. But in Tomoe's shoes, she couldn't imagine what it was like to have one's younger brother commit so many heinous crimes and get away with them, even call them justified.

"I'm trying not to push her, you know?"

Kaoru's heart broke over how lost Akira sounded. "I know," she whispered. "The more I think about it, the more I wish I hadn't said anything to her."

"No," he replied immediately. "Don't think like that. She had the right to know, and while it wasn't the best timing and it hurt her a lot, it's better like this. Tomoe is a strong woman, and she'll get over this; cope somehow. She just needs time."

"Could you relay a message for me, please?" She asked, before quickly adding, "I don't need a reply back, I just want her to know something."

"Of course," he said; she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Can you tell her I'm sorry? I wish I could change the past and find a way to make this easier on her. I really hope that she can forgive me."

Akira didn't reply for a few seconds, as if digesting the words. "There's nothing to forgive," he finally said, his voice as soft as a whisper.

"Can you please just tell her?" She asked. "We're not going anywhere. We'll be here when she's ready."

"I'll tell her," he promised.

"Thank you." After a few more words, she sighed and hung up. Slowly getting off the bed, she made her way to the kitchen where Kenshin and Yahiko were laughing together. Giving a small smile, she walked towards them.

Kenshin looked up at her, smiling sympathetically. "How'd it go?"

Kaoru looked at the both of them and her smile dropped. Hanging her head, she made a frustrated noise. "After getting everything off my chest, I feel even worse than before I called."

Kenshin slid out from under the table and drew her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face there. "Sweetheart, she just needs time. You did what you had to." He looked over at Yahiko, who nodded in agreement before slipping away from the scene. "Baby," he pulled her back, "this can't be all that's been bothering you."

"I don't want to talk about it," she looked down in between their bodies, not able to meet his gaze.

"Kaoru," his voice was stern, losing a hint of the sympathy he held before. "You're supposed to trust me enough to talk to me about anything."

She gave him a hard look. "Don't play that card," she sounded pathetic. "I trust you, you know that. It's just... I don't want to think about it, let alone talk about it."

"Maybe that's why you're feeling worse," Kenshin pointed out softly. "Because you're not saying everything you want to." She tensed against him and he sighed. "I'm not forcing you to say anything. I want you to tell me whenever you're ready."

Kaoru, not saying a word, buried her face against his neck again, wanting his comfort. When he wrapped his arms around her again, she sighed. "It's about Enishi," she whispered. "When we were at Hiko's house, and I was with him alone." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I really thought he was going to kill me. I don't know where I found the energy to pull myself above him." Her eyes burned, like tears were going to fall. "I really wanted to kill him," she admitted. "Tomoe coming up the steps, begging me to let him go... that's the only reason why there isn't a bullet in his head right now."

"Because she'd asked you not to kill him," Kenshin asked, curious.

"No," her voice broke as she clung tighter to Kenshin. "If it were the words, I wouldn't have hesitated. It was because she was there... because I couldn't kill someone, especially her brother right in front of her. I could live with her hating me, but I didn't want her to be traumatized." Tears fell from her eyes and soaked against Kenshin's skin. "I know what the feels like; I never want someone to go through something like that."

Kenshin sat there, not saying anything as she cried against him. He wanted to tell her that it was okay, but he knew that to her, it wasn't. She wanted to murder him, knowing that it was wrong, but not caring. He'd murdered her family; it was only natural to want revenge. He'd almost murdered Kenshin himself. "Kaoru," he rubbed her back. "It's hard, and I'm so sorry that you have to go through that. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be here for you; I'm going to help you feel better." He kissed her shoulder. "Do you understand?"

She nodded, sniffling against him. "Yes," she croaked. "I love you," she whispered back. He was being so strong for the both of them. She needed that, especially now. "Promise you won't ever leave," she demanded. She couldn't bare it if he left. She wouldn't know what to do with her life. It seemed that she was the reason for everything now.

"You don't even have to ask," Kenshin was quick to reassure her. "I will never leave you."

Kaoru pulled back and smiled at him as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. "I love you," she said before leaning forward and placing her lips against his.

* * *

Another week had passed before Tomoe called Kenshin. "Hey," she whispered into the phone. Her voice sounded raspy, like she'd been crying for hours before she called. "I'm just calling to tell you that I'm still alive."

"That's good to hear." He smiled. "But how are you holding up?"

"It's hard. Every day I have to see my baby brother behind glass. I can't hold him while he cries. He looks so broken, Kenshin. I'm still having a hard time believing he did everything that Kaoru claimed he did." She paused. "I'm sorry..."

"Did Akira give you her message?" He asked, taking her words into consideration.

"Yes, but I don't know how I feel about it. I can't forgive her right now." She sighed into the phone. "I'm sorry, Kenshin. I just... I don't think she made the best decision." She paused. "I don't think you did either."

He tensed at her words, "and what do you mean by that?" Tomoe had never been so cryptic before. She and Kaoru had their rough spots, but with seeing Akira again, he though that they'd moved on from that. At the party that Hiko had held, they had seemed on better terms, so where was she going with this?

"Kenshin, I think that you rushed back into getting with her. She's not okay right now. You're encouraging her with what happened with Enishi. Akira thinks that she's telling the truth, too, but I can't. Enishi isn't like that. He was defending himself when I found them at your uncle's house. He told me himself." She paused. "Please reconsider this. I just want things to be the way they used to."

Kenshin couldn't believe how much this had spiraled out of control. "Tomoe, what Kaoru and I have is none of your business. She's suffering just as much as you are, if not more so. There's so much that she could have done, but she just turned him in because you stopped her. Everything she feels, even though she doesn't want to, she is entitled to. I appreciate your concern, but Kaoru needs me, and if all you're going to do is turn this back on her without any regard for how she's doing... well, I'll talk to you when you're feeling better." He paused, hoping he was doing the right thing. "I'll talk to you later, Tomoe."

"So I guess that answers my question," Kaoru said from behind him.

Kenshin turned around quickly, a sheepish look on his face. "I'm sorry," he approached her but she held up her hand, stopping him.

"I think I'm the one who needs to apologize. You and Tomoe wouldn't be like this if I hadn't ever come into the picture. Tomoe could hate me without knowing me. She could feel bitter and have everyone comfort her, and everything would be okay." Her words started to make less and less sense as she went on with how it would be better if she hadn't come into their lives. "This really is all my fault."

"Shut up," Kenshin growled. Kaoru's eyes shot up in surprise. "I'm sick of the both of you going on about that. Tomoe needs time to cope, I can understand that. Akira is there for her, if she wants to be comforted." He stood up and walked to her, drawing her against his body. "You need time to cope with what you're feeling, which incidentally is the exact opposite of what Tomoe is coping with. I am in love with you, not Tomoe. I want to be here for you, not Tomoe. Do you understand me?" She nodded, surprised at his harsh voice. "Good, because this ends now. If I hear one more thing about us being better off without you, you're not going to like what I do." He'd given her fair warning, and hopefully, he'd never have to find something to do to her.

"I just," she paused as he raised his eyebrows; daring her to say something about it. "You're right." He was, too. She wasn't just saying that. She was having a pity party and she needed to get off it. "Sorry," she smiled. "And thanks for setting me straight."

He smiled down at her. "Any time," he replied playfully.

She laughed lightly, before clearing her throat. "What do we do now?" Wait, hope; what would they do in Tomoe's absence?

He pulled her into their bedroom. Yahiko was out for the day with a girl he'd met, so they had the house to themselves. He needed to talk to her about something, and he wasn't sure how she would react to it. "I was thinking about getting a new manager," he confessed as soon as they sat on the bed.

Kaoru looked surprised, confused. "Why?" Tomoe, while they had their problems, had been great at her job.

"I can't wait for Tomoe to get back to reality; to come to terms with what is happening and what's already happened. I can be there for her as a friend, but I can't my career on hold for her to come back." Kaoru opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off. "Besides, she mentioned something when she called me. She said she wanted things to go back to the way they were; she didn't want us together. I will always be with you, if I can help it. I don't need her in the middle of us; not even trying to be. I want her to be satisfied with Akira. The only thing I can offer her is friendship."

Kaoru's face flamed at the news; she'd made a pass at him. "Tomoe wants you back," she realized.

Kenshin shook his head. "I was never hers to begin with."

"That's not the way she sees it," Kaoru countered.

"It doesn't matter which way she sees it; it's never going to happen. I'm going to see where things go before I make the permanent decision to get a new manager, but I wanted to run the idea by you."

Kaoru smiled at that. He wanted her opinion on something that she had no part in; she was honored. "I can't tell you what to do, but just think about it. Maybe talk to Aoshi about it. He'd be able to give you better advice than I would be able to."

"Yeah, I will. I just wanted you to be the first to know," he smiled. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth, gently placing his lips against her skin. "So, what happened?"

Kaoru had an appointment at the doctor's office. After weeks of going through weeks of constant misery, she had finally agreed to it. It had finally happened; after one scandal and one scare, she was finally pregnant. She looked at Kenshin as his words flew through her head. "I don't want you to put your career on hold because of me," she said, instead of telling him their news.

He gave her a confused stare. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm pregnant," she looked at him, her body tense. They hadn't been expecting something like this. They'd always used protection, even though once the condom had broken; apparently that's all it took.

Kenshin's heart stopped at her words. "What?"

"I told you: I don't want you to put your career on hold for me, for us." She let go of his hand, uncertain of how he was feeling.

He gripped it and leaned forward to kiss her. "I won't," he said, "but I'm not going to neglect you because of my career. We'll make it work," he smiled.

"I-"

"Kaoru," he grinned. The news had been completely unexpected, but he was happy about it. "My career doesn't keep me warm at night. It doesn't make me feel loved, cherish, one in a million; not genuinely anyway. I love you, I've said that so many times, and I'm going to keep saying it until the very end." Kenshin pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again. "We'll make this work; I promise. We have to, because if we don't, my career is just going to have to go."

In the end, if he had to choose between the two of them, he would pick her. Her heart soared at the news.

* * *

_**I want to thank everyone for chapter 21 of Keeping You Safe. It was sort of dramatic/emotional setting, along with some good news. This is kind of bringing things to a close; not at all in the way that I was expecting, let me tell you. I had everything planned out and bam, the characters are like, "no you don't, biotch. This is the way it's going." And that way it did go. **_

_**The next chapter will be the last. If I get time to go back and edit this, revise and all that good stuff. I will. Most of my time would be in the summer, but since I'll be going on vacation, it might be a little longer. I will try to make this story the best that I can.**_

_**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter though. Let me know, please and thanks, lovelies.**_

_**-K**_


	22. Epilogue

_**Answers to Reviews:**_

_**Fanficnewbiee: Yes, there will be an epilogue. This is it, in fact. Though, like I said, I'll probably go back and edit the story. After going back and rereading it, I found that there's a lot I can improve on. The story line will stay the same, of course. I'm just going back and cleaning up where I feel like I could.**_

_**Ihaine07: Thank you for reading my story, even if you don't leave reviews. I'm just grateful that you (and all my readers) would take the time to read my story(ies). So, thank you!**_

_**Guest: First off, gah, I wish you had logged in and left a review. I want to tell you, you're brilliant. Seriously. A confession hadn't even crossed my mind. For me, Enishi is the ultimate evil. His reasons aren't even close to understandable (even though there's no understandable reason for murder). I'm not sure how this will go. Your review left me asking myself so many questions. Unfortunately, this is my last chapter, so I won't add any more to delay the story's end. Thank you, though. Really. I feel like I have more to cover than I had originally. **_

_**Note: This is why you guys should review! (laughs). Your comments and ideas help me with the direction I'm going in. Never doubt that.**_

_**Also, I'd like to point out that Kaoru got pregnant because of the sex (that wasn't shown) at the end of chapter 20. Notice in chapter 21, I said weeks had passed. Just... use your imagination on how many. Thanks, loves.**_

_**So here we go, the Epilogue of Keeping You Safe**_

* * *

In the end, Kenshin ended up getting a new manager. Tomoe could never forgive Kaoru; it was her fault that her brother was suffering in a prison. "She has to go," Tomoe had told Kenshin after the news of her pregnancy had been released. Misao had been appalled, Aoshi had looked disgusted and Kaoru's heart had fallen to her stomach. It wasn't the response anyone had been hoping for.

Kenshin, who looked at Akira, sighed. He had talked to Tomoe's husband, telling him what he'd been planning. Surprisingly, he had agreed that it would be for the best. "Actually Tomoe," he had said with a heavy heart. "I'm letting you go. I want us to be friends, but I won't ever pick you over Kaoru." It didn't matter how long they'd been friends. She had changed, and he wasn't okay with who she was now.

Six excruciatingly long months had passed since then. Enishi, who still denied that he'd done anything wrong, sat behind bars. Tomoe still pleaded his innocence. Sickened with grief and hatred, she had left Akira. Day after day, she visited her brother, hoping to find the truth and set him free.

Akira still worked for Hiko, and had slowly gotten over Tomoe.

Kaoru, who had kept in contact with him, was pleased to hear that he had started dating again. She wanted to meet the mystery woman, she'd laughed. Deep down, she was still sad that Tomoe hadn't been able to move on, but she was happy that Akira hadn't been dragged into whatever pitying state Tomoe had sunk into. "Do you think she's there right now," Kaoru asked Yahiko as they sat in the living room of their new home. Kenshin formally proposed to Kaoru after two months of finding out she was pregnant. They decided to postpone until after the baby was born, but even now, they all lived together. They were closer to Hiko, incidentally.

"Probably," Yahiko sighed as he looked over at her. "I think it's kind of sick how she falls all over the place for him and constantly begs."

It was a little weird, Kaoru thought. But, if he meant that much to her, who was she to say anything? "I don't see how she can do it." When Yahiko gave her a questioning look, she continued. "They aren't ever going to let him out; why does she still try? She's only making herself miserable."

"Honestly, I don't know." He admitted. "And personally, I don't want to think about it. Neither should you." He gave her a kind smile, letting her know he wasn't trying to sound cruel. "Besides, you know what Kenshin said- no more stressing yourself out."

Kaoru laughed; being pregnant was stressful in itself. Everything she did for a living, she had to give up. No more running after bad guys, no more fighting... nothing that could hurt her. "The only person you'll be running after is our child, when he or she is born," he'd told her in a matter-of-fact tone. Naturally, she had wanted to argue, but he was right, of course. "Yeah, yeah... if you tell him I talked about this, I'm going to tell him you made me cry." Now that she was pregnant, anything that upset her, he promised to take care of it for her.

Yahiko's eyes widened. "That's not fair! He doesn't need me." He leaned away from her and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kaoru's eyes glinted with humor. "Then it's a good thing that I do, isn't it?" He grumbled and she laughed, lightly running her hands over her extended stomach; only two and a half more months left and their child would be here. They still didn't know what gender it was, and they didn't want to know. It was a surprise, and they liked it that way.

"Hey, hey, there he is," Yahiko jumped excited against on the back of the couch.

Kaoru looked at the television and smiled. Kenshin had a conference in Kyoto, in talks of the new member of the team and the reasons behind letting go of Tomoe, who had been with him from the beginning. No doubt it had been difficult. He still didn't like talking to her about it, let alone someone else. "He looks tired." He looked exhausted, actually. He'd only been gone for three days and she missed him terribly. Now that he'd arrived back in Tokyo, he was going to come home and spend time with them, with her. Yahiko usually left when Kenshin was home. He wanted to give them the privacy that they craved. He didn't mind, he said. His girlfriend liked it when Kenshin was home.

"Mr. Himura," a reporter approached him as Aoshi blocked him from their view. "Is it true that you let go of Ms. Yukishiro because of the differences between her and your current girlfriend?"

Kenshin stopped and turned to reply, but Aoshi stopped him, whispering in his ear.

"Don't do anything rash, Kenshin," Kaoru whispered to herself. Kenshin had become more defensive of her over time, reacting to the slightest tone of insult towards her.

"No," she heard him say to the reporter. "I let Ms. Yukishiro go for professional reasons. She had a private family matter that took precedence over my career. I thought it would be best so that she could have her focus on where it needed to be." He started to walk but stopped and looked back at the man. "I love my fiancee, but she has nothing to do with my professional team."

For Kenshin, that was like saying fuck off. Kaoru smiled as he walked away.

"He'll be here soon," Yahiko commented as he stood up.

"Yeah, where are you going?" He wasn't here yet, Yahiko couldn't be leaving already, could he?

"Tsubame's." With a shrug of his shoulders, he walked towards the door. "You've got my number. If something happens before he gets here, call me and I'll come running back."

Kaoru shook her head at his words. "Go, go," she shooed him away. She would be fine by herself. They treated her more like a child than a pregnant woman.

* * *

When Kenshin showed up, Kaoru was still on the couch, waiting for him. He opened the door, Aoshi following closely behind him.

Kaoru smiled and slowly stood up; with the pregnancy, she wasn't able to move as fast as she once could. "I missed you," she smiled as she walked towards him. when she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her. She pressed her lips against his and sighed. "Yeah, I really missed you."

Kenshin laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I missed you too. It's been a long three days." Kenshin looked back at Aoshi. "I'm sure he's ready to quit after the hell I've been giving him."

Kaoru, leaning against the chest of her fiance, looked over at the man. She had a hard time believing that he would feel like that towards Kenshin, especially since Misao had stayed home as well. "I'm sure Misao will be glad to have you back," she commented.

"Is that you subtly kicking me out," he asked, raising his eyebrows in curiosity.

Kenshin laughed as Kaoru stuck her tongue out. "No," she smiled. "You're more than welcome to stay." She wanted some alone time with Kenshin, but if Aoshi wanted to stay for a while longer, she wasn't going to turn him away. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, thank you. I'll be leaving in a moment." He gave Kenshin a nod before walking back to the door. "How's the baby doing," he asked.

Kaoru's smile widened at his question. "He's fine." She rubbed her stomach soothingly.

Kenshin gave her an alarmed look. "He?"

She could only shrug as she looked at him. "I just feel like it's going to be a boy. I'm just guessing, I promise." She leaned up and ran her lips against his jaw. "We'll know when he or she is born."

"That's good to hear." He gave Kenshin a pointed glare. "She and your baby are fine. Now you can stop worrying." He gave Kaoru a small smile. "You two have a lot of making up to do for these last few days. If it happens again, I might strangle him." Okay, so maybe there was a little issue there. Still, he wasn't just employed to Kenshin; they were best friends. He wasn't going anywhere. "I'll call you later, Kenshin." He left without another word.

Kaoru stared up at him as the door shut behind their friend. "Do you remember it being this hard?" They'd been away from each other for a few days at a time during the last six months, but every time it seemed to get harder and harder. They needed their space, they knew, but still... it wasn't the same without one another.

"Yes," he smiled. "It's always hard to be away from you guys." He ran his fingers over her stomach as he leaned down to kiss her. "Where's Yahiko," he whispered against her lips.

Kaoru smiled against him. "He went to see his girlfriend. He wants to give us privacy." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards their bedroom. "Apparently Tsubame likes when you're home." The warm laughter that escaped his throat warmed her completely. When she slowly sat on the bed, he knelt in front of her, watching her wearily. "How did it go?"

He sighed, knowing she wanted to talk about the conference. "It went..." He looked up into her eyes. "Tomoe was there."

Kaoru's eyes widened at the news. She's traveled all the way to Kyoto to see Kenshin let her go? "Why?"

He shook his head, still at loss for what had happened. "She wanted to beg me to come back to her," he looked at Kaoru's balled up hands in her lap. "She wanted me to help her with Enishi; get him the right help that he needed to be released." He took Kaoru's hands in his, holding onto them like a lifeline.

"What did you say?" Kenshin would never leave her, but she was curious as to how he had handled the situation.

He looked into her eyes then, a grin tugging at his lips. "It's no secret that you're pregnant or that we're engaged. I reiterated it. She thought it was for show, of course. It was comfortable and I couldn't let something like that go because I was... I don't even know how she described it. It still doesn't make sense to me." He leaned forward and kissed her neck, slowly running his tongue along her sensitive flesh. "I was very adamant that she would never be more than a friend to me, and that you would be nothing less of my best friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife." His hot breath had reached her ear.

Kaoru's breath hitched at his words and his breath. Even after all this time, he affected her more and more every day. "How did the conference itself go," she asked, trying to distract herself from the way her body was reacting. She wanted to know how the new manager had fared with the wolves.

"It was great," he replied, slightly pulling away as he stood to his feet and walked to her side. Sitting down next to her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her to lay on her side. "Tae handled it in a very professional manner, while at the same time gaining new fans herself." He paused as he stared at the love of his life. "It's hard to believe she's a complete beginner." He reached over with his free and and ran it through Kaoru's raven locks. "But, that's over and done with. I'm home with you, and there's more important things that I would like to do."

Kaoru leaned closer into him, lightly throwing her arm over his chest. "Like what," she prompted with a grin. She already knew the answer.

"Like making love to you for the rest of the afternoon." While they'd experienced and, quite frankly, enjoyed being rough and primal with each other during sex, after she'd gotten pregnant, they'd tried to slow things down. Really, slow things down; much to their surprise, it was just as, if not more, enjoyable. The baby was safe, no matter what, as her pregnancy was smooth, almost perfect, but he didn't want to chance anything.

"Good," she whispered as she leaned into him. "I've missed you, in every way possible." Kaoru took his hand and led it to her breast, letting him feel her. She was sensitive, much more than she had been.

Kenshin's eyes heated at the contact as he leaned in to kiss her lips roughly. "Eager," he asked, slowly sliding his hand down her body; over her belly and in between her legs. She couldn't answer, all she could do was nod. "Good." Thoughts of the new team, the conference, Enishi and Tomoe... everything that wasn't there left them, as the basked in the scent and feel of each other.

Afterwards, Kenshin never heard from Tomoe again, Enishi still being in prison, they assumed she'd given up hope when it came to help; when it came to someone being at her side through all of this. Tae had taken the team above and beyond what had been expected of her, and they were all very impressed. Kenshin had been working on new music and another tour was in the works.

When Kenshin wasn't working, he noticed that Aoshi would leave as soon as he could, no doubt getting home to his wife. Weeks after the conference, Misao had accused Aoshi of cheating on her; when he wouldn't answer her calls, she got paranoid. Not suspicious, paranoid. "She knows I wouldn't," Aoshi had commented one day during lunch. "I just don't want to give her the impression that I don't care how she feels." If she was nervous about him leaving her, he would prove himself until she was secure in the relationship again.

As Kaoru's due date approached, Kenshin had spent less and less time at work and more time with her, just in case something happened. Nothing would, she promised him. She'd encouraged him to go; she didn't need to be crowded when she was perfectly fine. After weeks of hearing the same speech over and over again, he'd decided that he'd give her the afternoon to herself, but as he went to check on her, he found that she was going into labor. He'd stayed with her all the way, Yahiko scurrying behind them, calling everyone to tell them it was time.

Six hours later, their son, Kenji, was born. Through the thick and the thin, the good times and bad, Kaoru and Kenshin saw the joy in everything as they looked at their son for the very first time. "Thank you, Kaoru, for everything. He's beautiful." He leaned down to kiss her as she held their newborn son against her chest.

"Thank you," she whispered back. She couldn't have made it this far without him. "I love you."

As he gently stroked his son's head, he smiled at her. "I love you, too." He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned back into his hold. "It's my turn to keep you safe," he promised.

* * *

_**That's it. Happily ever after! I'm surprised with myself. Truly, I am. Not at all what I was expecting, but I'm pleased. **_

_**I want to thank each and every one of you who have contributed your thoughts and feelings to this story, and to everyone who has even read the story and stayed with me until the end (or even if you came on board during the middle). Thank you everyone! **_

_**Please, please let me know how you enjoyed "Keeping You Safe". I love you all.**_

_**-K**_


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